Haymarket house explodes after gas leak

HAYMARKET, Va. (DC News Now) — A house exploded in Haymarket and was “totally destroyed” Tuesday afternoon.

First responders went to the 5900 block of Colby Hunt Ct. for a gas leak at a home around 4:15 p.m., officials said. Rescuers evacuated the house.

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Officials said crews were at the home to address a water main break when a contracting crew member hit a natural gas line. They then called 911 and the six people living inside the home were evacuated.

Around 5:35 p.m., an hour after the gas line hit, responding units reported that the house had exploded.

Washington Gas responded to secure the leak.

The Office of the Fire Marshal said no injuries were reported, but some cars were damaged by flying debris.

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Homeowner Jarrett Struniak said he lost his two cats and a dog and is “taking it one day at a time.”

“We’re just waiting on the next steps, if we’re going to talk to law enforcement,” he said. “This is obviously the successful plan, nobody got hurt, not a firefighter, not a city worker, not a single person on the dead end street. That’s really great in itself. We’ve lost some really good pets and nothing can ever replace them.”

Struniak said he was outside the house for 45 minutes before it exploded.

“When it happened, I literally saw the whole front of our house come down on top of four cars and into our yard,” she said.

Struniak said the four-bedroom house “collapsed completely in on itself.” Six people, including his wife, his daughter, a friend and his fiance and son lived in the house.

“It probably shook the whole neighborhood for a mile. I guess in that sense, once I heard the flash and the bang, everything else went quiet after that,” Struniak said. “Pretty much just thinking about my animals. That’s about it. And then just the fact that (that) we don’t have anything right now at this point.”

The deputy fire chief told DC News Now that the situation could have been “catastrophic,” and other neighbors said it was “pretty traumatic to hear that explosion.”

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The Red Cross responded to help both families.

Prince William County Fire and Rescue said residents of nearby homes were allowed back inside after power was restored.

The eight neighboring homes will have their natural gas service interrupted for up to two days.

Washington Gas said in a statement to DC News Now that it is aware of the explosion.

The situation is still under investigation.

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