Home explosion rattles neighborhood in Essex

BALTIMORE - A house explosion rattled a community Saturday night in Essex.

The home on Crafton Road near Avenal Road caught on fire around 11 p.m. and exploded, shaking a neighborhood awake.

"It rocked the whole neighborhood," said neighborhood resident Michael.

BG&E, ATF, Baltimore County Police and Baltimore County Fire Department as well as White Marsh Volunteer Fire, responded to the fire.

Upon their arrival, crews found the home engulfed in flames and requested a 2nd-alarm alert to be sent out. 

"Within minutes, there was heavy fire coming from the rear of his home and the home was destroyed," said Bureau Chief Travis Francis, from the Baltimore County Fire Department.

The homeowner told WJZ that she and her children were not home when this happened.

While at the scene, a male reported having burn injuries and was taken to the hospital for further treatment.

"We cannot confirm if he was in the home or around the home when that took place," Francis said. "It's still under investigation.

A neighbor shared security video of the scene which showed the explosion and fire.

"There's people that burn a fire and little fire pits, maybe something caught on fire, but not an entire house," said neighbor Logan Lambert.

By morning, all that was left of the home was rubble and debris. 

Neighboring homes were dusted with ash and a fence behind the home was partially melted. Nearby homes did not sustain major damage.

A neighbor said he smelled natural gas earlier Saturday night and called it into the gas company.

"BG&E came around and was probing all the areas and all the houses and then they didn't find anything what they said," Michael added.

Officials say they have heard from several neighbors that there was a foul smell in the area Saturday.

"That is being looked into by our investigators as well as BG&E," Francis said.

Fire officials say home explosions are not uncommon in the county, and if you smell gas, report it immediately.

"We believe [because of] the time of night, there weren't people out on the streets, kids playing in the neighborhood, etc. Those are some fortunate facts, but it's still very unfortunate what took place here in this community. They're not going to forget this," Francis said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. 

Baltimore County Police, ATF and Maryland State Police are assisting with the investigation.

Anyone with information should reach out to Baltimore County Police.