Two people lost their lives, and another was injured following a Sunday morning explosion that demolished a home and damaged several nearby residences in a suburban Baltimore neighborhood, authorities reported.
The explosion occurred around 6:42 a.m. on Arthur Woods Drive in Bel Air, Harford County, approximately 32 miles north of Baltimore, according to officials.
Master Deputy Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire confirmed on Sunday that one of the victims was a 35-year-old contractor for Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE). The contractor’s name has not yet been released. Alkire said a female neighbor living adjacent to the destroyed home sustained cuts and bruises and was treated on-site.
Later that day, at 6:00 p.m., Harford County officials announced the discovery of a second victim in the rubble, bringing the death toll to two. The medical examiner’s office will release the identity of the second individual.
At least 12 families have been displaced by the explosion, with the total number of damaged homes still being assessed, officials noted.
A photo shared on X by Harford County Fire and Emergency Medical Services depicted firefighters battling a small fire and searching through the remains of the home, which had been reduced to splintered wood, insulation, and other debris.
“This was one of the largest explosions I’ve seen in my 18 years on the job,” Alkire remarked during a news conference earlier Sunday.
Alkire mentioned that Harford County firefighters were responding to a reported gas leak in the area when the explosion took place.
Jeffrey Sexton, spokesperson for the Harford County Fire and EMS Association, confirmed that the BGE worker’s remains were discovered in the vast debris field left by the blast.
Search-and-rescue teams were still meticulously combing through the rubble on Sunday afternoon, which had spread across multiple blocks, officials stated.
Alkire added that at least two BGE contract workers had arrived in the area before the explosion to investigate an electrical issue. The workers were aware of reports of a gas odor in the area when the blast occurred.
While multiple homes sustained damage, no evacuations were ordered, and a damage assessment was underway, according to Alkire. He also confirmed that the house that exploded was for sale, but it remains unclear if anyone was inside at the time. Officials described the house as a “total loss.”
The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Harford County Sheriff’s Department, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the cause of the explosion.
Residents in the neighborhood reported hearing a loud explosion and feeling their homes shake, authorities said.
Jefferey Beyers, a nearby resident, said that he and his wife were jolted awake by a “deafening explosion” accompanied by a sensation similar to an earthquake. Beyers pointed to windows in his house that had been blown out of their frames.
“I think it’s crucial to find out what happened so this kind of incident doesn’t happen again,” Beyers said.
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Another neighbor, Marshall Garrett, who also lives nearby, said that he rushed to the scene before the fire engines arrived. He described the scene as utterly devastating, likening it to something out of a movie.
“At first, we just saw rubble,” Garrett said. “Then we started seeing flames streak out, and smoke rising into the air.”
