O’FALLON, Mo. — A nearby security camera captured the moment an O’Fallon, Missouri home was leveled in an explosion just before noon Tuesday.
A third-party contractor working in the area struck a Spire gas line in the 11:00 a.m. hour, according to officials with Spire. The contractor immediately contacted Spire and the O’Fallon Fire Department. They worked with police to evacuate nearby residents just before 11:43 a.m. when the house exploded.
“We got a call around 10:30 for a line that had been hit, and so working with Spire, they didn’t like what they were seeing. So we went door to door to evacuate people,” said Assistant Chief Andy Parrish with the O’Fallon Fire Protection District.
Inside look: Multiple homes damaged after explosion in O’Fallon, Missouri
Incredibly, no one was injured in the explosion. Spire crews vented the gas out of homes near the house that exploded off Millers Court.
“Luckily, no one was in the home when it was exploded. We’re not aware of any injuries,” said O’Fallon Police Sgt. Tony Michalka. “That’s incredible. We’re very lucky that it just involves property and no loss of life.”
O’Fallon Fire Protection District officials said this is a reminder for anyone in the case of someone smelling gas and calling authorities.
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Currently, there are 19 homes without service in the neighborhood. Spire said it will take four to six hours to fix the line and return service to the homes.
Currently, a GoFundMe account has been set up for the family that lost everything in the home explosion. For more information on the fundraiser, visit: https://gf.me/v/c/fb3s/home-exploded-family-lost-everything