What to Know
- A large gas explosion and fire obliterated a house in Norwalk, Connecticut, early Tuesday, fire officials say
- A woman who is six months pregnant and her husband were the only ones in the home at the time; they managed to escape
- The cause of the fire is under investigation; fire officials say a propane tank in the couple's front yard may have been leaking into home
A woman who is six months pregnant and her husband managed to escape unscathed after a large gas explosion and fire blew up their Connecticut home, ripping off every window and door and leaving the walls that were still standing charred.
The couple told News 4 they woke up at 5 a.m. Tuesday to the explosion at their home on Deepwood Lane in Norwalk and ran out of the house. Incredibly, both were physically OK.
Fire officials described heavy smoke and fire in the basement and garage area when they arrived at the scene. Firefighters got the blaze under control in 30 minutes. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the blast is under investigation, but fire investigators say a propane leak in the couple's front yard may have been leaking into the house -- and that all it would take, at that point, is a combination of gas and oxygen and some sort of spark from an air conditioner or hot water heater.
A neighbor told News 4 of smelling gas in the storm drains a few days before the blast. That neighbor reported calling a utility company and said a crew came to check out the smell, but no threat was determined.
The couple says they never smelled any gas prior to the explosion.
