Fire Bureau reveals cause of explosion that destroyed Greece home
Investigators have determined that natural gas build-up is to blame for an explosion that leveled a Greece home last fall.
But, according to a report from the Monroe County Fire Bureau, the exact cause of the incident was deemed "undetermined."
Here's more on the explosion and report:
A house at 843 Stone Road was leveled by an explosion just before 5 a.m. on Nov. 11, 2024, according to the Barnard Fire District, the lead agency that responded to the scene. Neighbors said they saw the three residents crawling out of the house shortly after the blast.
The trio - a woman in her 20s and her parents - were hospitalized with burns, said Barnard Fire Chief Stephen Andrews. All three were hospitalized after the explosion and had suffered "varying degrees of injuries," and two been asleep at the time of the explosion, according to the report. The third told fire officials she saw a "huge amount of fire enter the bedroom she was in as part of the explosion. The trio had only lived in the house for about three months at the time of the explosion, according to the report.
The front cover plate of the Cape-Cod-style home's natural gas meter was "not in place," according to the report. All eight screw holes on the plate for the meter body were empty and the undamaged cover was found on the basement floor just below the meter. The internal part meter sustained fire damage.
An undamaged cordless drill was also found in the basement, but the missing retaining bolts were not, according to the report.
"If the front cover plate to the body of the natural gas meter were to have fallen off due to the retaining bolts being absent, this would have provided for a steady flow of fugitive natural gas into the residence, thus contributing to the cause of the explosion," the report read.
The homeowner told fire officials that he had been renovating the kitchen and was preparing for the installation of new countertops, set to take place the same day the explosion ultimately happened. The homeowner reported that no work had been done in the basement - other than painting the walls - since his family moved into the home in August. The natural gas appliances in the basement were in the basement when the moved in and appeared to be working normally, he told fire officials.
All three residents did frequent the basement - typically to do laundry, they told fire officials.
The daughter confirmed she woke to a strong and "bad odor" on Nov. 11, but did not recognize the scent to be natural gas, according to the report.
Fire officials also noted that all three residents said they did not remove bolts or the cover from the gas meter. It is possible the cover was not secured and fell off, but that remained unknown. While nothing appeared to be malicious, any human involvement with regards to the removal of the plate remained unknown, according to the report.
Fire officials confirmed that natural gas filled open areas of the home, and was particularly concentrated in the basement. Rochester Gas and Electric last year tested for deficiencies and released a report noting that the explosion was not sparked by a natural gas line.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Fire Bureau reveals cause of explosion that destroyed Greece NY home
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