House Explosion Leaves 2 Dead, 12 Families Displaced In Bel Air

BEL AIR, MD — Two people are dead, one person is injured and a dozen families are displaced after a house explosion Sunday in Bel Air, according to authorities.

Firefighters responded around 6:40 a.m. to a reported gas leak and an outdoor gas smell followed by an explosion in the 2300 block of Arthur Woods Drive. Two utility workers were in the area at the time for a reported electrical issue, but authorities didn't immediately say if that was related.

Less than two hours after the explosion, emergency personnel found a BGE contractor who was pronounced dead. Nearly eight hours after that, they reported they had discovered another deceased person, believed to be the 73-year-old homeowner.

The state fire marshal, Harford County sheriff, and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were assisting with the probe, as is standard procedure. BGE was also involved in the investigation.

There is no threat to the public, according to Harford County Fire & EMS.

While the total number of damaged structures was still being determined Sunday evening, at least 12 families had been displaced, authorities said. A home next door to the explosion was heavily damaged and a woman in that house was treated for injuries, according to Oliver Alkire, a master deputy with the fire marshal's office.

Photos of the scene show the house that exploded reduced to a pile of rubble. A neighboring home appeared to have a partially collapsed roof and a massive hole in its siding.

"I've been on the job for nearly 18 years, and this is one of the largest explosions I've seen," Alkire said.

More than 60 first responders from multiple agencies assisted at the scene.

Lisa Czawlytko, who lives in a nearby condominium, said the explosion woke her and her three children, and that the roof structure on four condominium buildings buckled, sending aluminum siding from the roof down to the ground.

"The whole building shook like a major earthquake," she told The Associated Press in an interview.

Harford County government was working Sunday evening to open roads to the affected residents.

Anyone who smelled gas in the area before the explosion or has damage to their home is asked to make a report to authorities at bit.ly/3LZaXzg.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.