Originally published by WLWT5
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — One person was wounded following a house explosion in Middletown, Ohio. Fire investigators said they suspect natural gas.
It happened just before 4 p.m. Monday in the 2500 block of Flemming Road.
According to Fire Chief Paul Lolli, one person was found badly burned outside of the home. That person, described as a man in his 60s, was the lone occupant of the house.
He was taken to an area hospital by ambulance, then flown to Miami Valley Hospital for treatment. Lolli said the man was talking to first responders, but described his injuries as serious.
“It took crews probably about 15 minutes to knock the bulk of the fire down,” Lolli said. “We still have some hotspots up in the attic and in areas hard to get to.”
The explosion happened in the rear of the home, Lolli said, describing the two-story structure as a total loss. Now, there are concerns about the structural integrity of the home.
“It’s looking like it might be some type of natural gas explosion,” Lolli added, saying that it’s still too early to know for sure, and an investigation will hammer down the cause of the explosion.
Surveillance cameras at nearby homes captured the explosion on video, the fire chief said. Several homes in the area have been evacuated as a precaution, but Lolli said the issues seem to be isolated to the single home.
WLWT has a crew on the scene and will update this story as details become available.
