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A house explosion in Centreville injured two people and forced dozens of families from their homes Sunday night as crews investigated an active gas leak that left four nearby houses at risk of exploding.
The National Transportation Safety Board took the lead in the investigation, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue officials announced Monday afternoon. The agency oversees pipeline safety investigations.
Residents reported smelling gas and seeing a house on fire in the 14300 block of Quail Pond Court, near Buggy Whip Drive. Firefighters arrived at about 9:45 p.m. and found the house engulfed in flames. A neighboring home suffered heat damage.
A man escaped the burning house without firefighters’ help. His injuries were minor and not considered life-threatening. A neighbor also suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and was later released.
Everyone associated with the home was accounted for, fire officials said.
Four Homes Faced Explosion Risk
Washington Gas crews spent Monday checking the neighborhood for gas by inserting long sensor-equipped poles into the ground.
Their measurements indicated that four houses were at risk of exploding and 51 were unsafe to enter as of Monday afternoon, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue spokesperson Mitch Clark.
Assistant Chief of Operations Eric Craven said four gas lines are located nearby and crews were examining them individually. Three lines run in one direction through an easement, while a fourth crosses them and is owned by a different entity.
Clark said the three lines behind the destroyed house include the county’s main transmission line, a Centreville line and a Chantilly line. Crews used heavy machinery to excavate the area and determine which line was leaking.
Washington Gas and Williams Pipeline Corporation operate gas lines in the neighborhood.
Crews took hourly readings outside homes, at manhole covers and through numerous test holes around the property. Craven said the detected levels remained well below the lower explosive limit, but monitoring was scheduled to continue through Monday night and Tuesday morning.
Gas Odor Reported Before Blast
The cause of the explosion remained under investigation, though officials received multiple reports of a gas odor in the area. Investigators conducted soil tests and ground-level measurements to locate any escaping natural gas.
One neighbor who arrived shortly after the blast said the house’s second story was initially still standing before collapsing. The neighbor also reported seeing green and blue colors in the flames.
Firefighters remained at the scene Monday morning extinguishing hot spots.
Evacuated residents were offered shelter at a warming center, but the facility closed overnight after no one arrived.
Officials asked the public to avoid the neighborhood. Residents needing essential items from affected homes were directed to report to 5101 Sequoia Farms Drive, where staff could escort them to their properties.