LINCOLN, NE — A veteran Lincoln fire inspector said Tuesday that a house explosion here was the worst natural gas explosion he had seen in his 32-year career.
Chief Fire Investigator Bill Moody said the explosion in the house in southeast Lincoln caused confirmed damage to 17 other neighborhood houses.
Four surrounding homes have been red-tagged as uninhabitable, at least at for now, he said.
The two residents of the destroyed home, Jim and Jeanne Jasa, both 66, were severely injured in the blast.
Both were listed in critical condition Wednesday in the burn unit at St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln.
Lincoln Fire Department Battalion Chief Leo Benes called it “absolutely amazing” that no one else was hurt. Had the explosion occurred just an hour earlier, it could have injured children walking home from a nearby elementary school.
Moody said the cause of the blast has not yet been determined. But city fire inspectors, working with the State Fire Marshal’s Office, have been able to rule out an external gas leak.
The Jasas have a son, a daughter and four grandchildren.
Jim Jasa’s sister, Lorraine Ebke, said her brother is retired from BNSF Railway. Jeanne Jasa is a retired Lincoln Public Schools teacher. The couple are longtime Lincoln residents, but Jim Jasa grew up in the Valparaiso area. Ebke said she was on her way to Lincoln from her home in Colorado.
Mark Patton, who used to work with Jeanne Jasa in the Lincoln school district’s behavioral skills program, said she mostly taught younger elementary students.
He said she had an “amazing talent” with the students and is one of the best teachers with whom he has worked.
“She is a nice human being who was a pleasure to work with and to socialize with as well,” Patton said.
Moody said he expected that investigators would be spending the rest of Tuesday checking out potential causes inside the house.
“There’s tell-tale signs of where the blast originated,” he said, while noting the amount of damage could complicate the task.
Moody said it would have taken a huge volume of natural gas to cause the amount of damage that occurred and said the gas would have had to build up for hours.
Typically, residents would have noticed a gas smell during that time, he said.
Debris from the explosion was found for blocks. Lincoln police said damage was reported at 43 homes, ranging from paintings falling off walls to broken windows to structural damage.
Benes said there was ammunition going off after the initial blast, around 4:30 p.m. There also were some minor explosions that could have been paint cans or a vehicle.
He said he does not think the ammunition contributed to the size of the explosion but said it did delay some first responders. The ammunition could have been dangerous if it had been chambered in a firearm.
Ken Dewey, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln climatology professor who was driving in the neighborhood when the blast occurred, said the scene was like nothing he had ever seen, even investigating the aftermath of tornadoes and happening upon car crashes.
He and others found the Jasas lying on the lawn outside of the house. He said the two seemed to have been blown out of the house.
Lincoln Police Capt. Mike Woolman said officers were helping with the investigation by collecting firearms and ammunition from the scene.
Benes encouraged people in the neighborhood to report damage, even minor damage, to city building and safety inspectors to help document the magnitude of the blast.
But he urged people from outside the area to stay away. Debris in trees and on the ground could pose hazards, and extra traffic would hamper authorities.
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LINCOLN, NE — Authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the explosion that leveled a house in southeast Lincoln.
Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister said Thursday that the focus of the investigation is on the occupants of the home and the property itself.
The investigation includes a continuing search of the damaged home and property, as well as interviews by police and a review of financial records, cellphone data and other digital trails.
“There is no ongoing threat to public safety,” he said.
The homeowners, Jim and Jeanne Jasa, both 66, were severely injured in the explosion, which happened about 4:30 p.m. Monday.
As of Thursday morning, they remained in critical condition in medically induced comas at the burn unit at St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center.
Bliemeister said authorities think natural gas was a component of the explosion but are checking to determine whether any other substance or device might have been involved.
So far, he said, there is no evidence of any other type of explosive device or element.
Bill Moody, Lincoln’s chief fire inspector, said the damage caused by the blast is consistent with a natural gas explosion.
Investigative efforts by the Lincoln Bureau of Fire Prevention and natural gas provider Black Hills Energy have ruled out an external natural gas leak.
“There is no information to suggest other homes are in danger of this explosion being replicated and no evidence to show this was the result of negligence on the part of a utility service provider,” Bliemeister said.
Attempts to reach family members for comment were unsuccessful Thursday.
Earlier, Moody said the explosion was the worst he had seen in his 32-year career and that natural gas would have had to build up for hours to cause that magnitude of damage.
Typically, residents would have noticed a gas smell during that time, he said.
Bliemeister said Thursday that the Police Department has now taken the lead in the investigation. Police obtained a search warrant for the home and property on Tuesday.
However, he cautioned that, in many criminal investigations, authorities are trying to determine whether a crime was committed.
The current investigation is looking at all possibilities.
Bliemeister said he expected police to be working at the scene through Thursday and possibly into the weekend. He asked anyone with relevant information to call 402-441-6000.
Authorities have determined that the firearms and ammunition in the home played no part in the event. The firearms were owned legally, Bliemeister said.
Jim Jasa is retired from BNSF Railway and Jeanne Jasa is a retired Lincoln Public Schools teacher. The couple are longtime Lincoln residents.
The Jasas have a son, a daughter and four grandchildren.
Seventeen homes in the area suffered significant damage, Moody said, and five have been “red-tagged” as uninhabitable.
The worst-hit homes were moved off their foundations or had broken floor or ceiling joists. He said it will be up to the homeowners’ insurance companies whether the homes can be repaired or will have to be demolished.