At least 1 dead, 1 injured in explosion at Maryland home: 'I took my kids and got out'

Emergency responders are searching for victims of a house explosion in Bel Air, Maryland, early Sunday morning that left at least one person dead and another injured.

A home was partially destroyed in the 2300 block of Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air, a suburb of Baltimore, around 6:42 a.m. The Harford County Department of Emergency Services confirmed that one victim was located and pronounced dead at the scene.

Numerous volunteer firefighters and Harford County Department of Emergency Service Special Operation personnel are on scene searching for victims through the use of drones and aircraft, according to the department Sunday morning.

Emergency officials said there is no ongoing threat to the public. The state fire marshal, the Harford County sheriff and the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Task Force are investigating, as well as Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. Pedestrians are asked to stay away from the area.

“I have been on the job for nearly 18 years, and this is one of the largest explosions I have seen, especially in Harford County,” Master Deputy of the Maryland State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire said.

Leading up to the blast, first responders were dispatched to the area for reports of a gas leak, Alkire said during a Sunday news conference.

Alkire said two workers from BGE were already at the home addressing an electrical issue. The BGE workers were aware of the gas odor and apparent gas leak while they were working on the home.

As units from the Harford County Fire and EMS were en route, the call changed from odor of gas to an apparent house explosion, Alkire said.

Upon arrival, crews entered a debris field that covered the street and neighboring yards. Responders found one victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene. A neighboring resident was also treated at the scene for minor injuries, according to Jeffrey Sexton, the public information officer of the Harford County Fire and EMS Association.

Alkire was unable to say whether the deceased was a BGE worker but said their identity is unavailable, as officials are pending next-of-kin notification.

Alkire said officials do not believe the scene to be related to a crime. However, “we have to treat every scene like a crime scene because right now, we just don’t know,” he said.

Investigators believe one person lived in the home, but Alkire did not say if any residents were inside at the time of the explosion. Alkire said the home was listed as “for sale.” According to Redfin, the 3,506-square-foot home is valued around $745,000.

Lisa Czawlytko and her three children were asleep when the sound of an explosion startled them awake early Sunday.

“I woke up instantly, rolled off the bed to grab my children and to make sure it wasn’t an earthquake,” Czawlytko said. “We are on the top floor of our condo building with no elevator, so I wanted to make sure we could get out.”

Czawlytko and her children are residents of the Country Walk Condominiums, located half a mile from the scene.

The family of four quickly escaped their home on the fourth floor to see numerous other residents evaluating the damage to their buildings. The blast shook all four of the condominium buildings, causing roof and structural damage to each.

“The roof structure completely buckled, so it sent the aluminum siding from the roof to the ground on four of our condo buildings, and AC vents also popped out from the side of the building,” Czawlytko said. “We do not know if we are safe to stay there, so I took my kids and got out.”

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