MEC&F Expert Engineers : HOUSE EXPLOSION IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY INJURES 2, SHOCKWAVE FELT FOR MILES

Monday, February 23, 2015

HOUSE EXPLOSION IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY INJURES 2, SHOCKWAVE FELT FOR MILES









FEBRUARY 23, 2015
ALEXANDRIA, KENTUCKY (AP)

Authorities say one home was flattened and a few others were damaged in a late-night explosion that injured two people and was felt for miles away.

Alexandria Fire Department Captain Keith Hamman told The Kentucky Enquirer (http://cin.ci/1AC8Oy5) he lives three miles from the scene, but felt the rumble from the explosion late Saturday before his phone rang.

Hamman said rescue crews arrived and took the two residents of the home to the hospital. He said they suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Dispatchers said the loud explosion led to a "big number" of calls and prompted a visual response. They posted information about the incident on Facebook and Twitter.

The Campbell County Police Department called the incident an "apparent natural gas explosion" on Sunday, though the investigation was continuing.

Information from: The Kentucky Enquirer, http://www.nky.com
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Before he even got a call from work late Saturday night, Alexandria Fire Department Captain Keith Hamman, was putting on his boots.

Hamman lives three miles from the home obliterated by an explosion on Saturday, but he still felt the rumble.

"Oh, yeah. It was strong," Hamman said. "Five houses were affected. Some broken windows, some with bent garage doors. One house directly across the street had the whole front wall move approximately 2 inches."

The incident started around 11 p.m. Saturday when officials first responded to reports of a "possible home explosion incident" on Bieting Drive near Grandview Road in Campbell County.

A "big number" of 911 calls were made Saturday night, according to dispatchers from Campbell County, and prompted a visible response from officials.
The Campbell County Police Department tweeted that "everyone [was] okay" after a "residential explosion" just after 11:30 p.m.

The county police department also posted on their Facebook page about the "big boom." Commenters on the page felt the shock from communities near and far, including the Brookwood subdivision and homes near the Pendleton County line.
The two residents of the home were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Another woman, who lived nearby, was taken to the hospital for anxiety treatment, Hamman said.

An investigation into the cause of the explosion was still ongoing Sunday, but officials from the Campbell County Police Department called the incident an "apparent natural gas explosion."

"Anything could have caused this," Hamman said. "We were able to secure gas to the residence and that was shut off. Duke [Energy] sent people to cut the power, too."

The American Red Cross was contacted by the fire department to help relocate the two residents of the flattened home.
Source: http://www.wcpo.com