Monday, August 23, 2004
AKRON (AP) -- A natural gas explosion destroyed an apartment Sunday and injured a technician who was checking out a gas odor complaint, fire officials said.
The leak apparently came from a line that went into the two-story apartment, which was vacant, Fire Capt. Doug Ott said. Officials did not know what ignited the gas just before 5 p.m.
"[The blast] blew the roof off, both stories of the front out into the parking lot, the back into the back yard," Ott said.
Jeff Zidonis, a spokesman for gas distributor Dominion East Ohio, said the leak was apparently from a range that was moved.
A fire that broke out after the explosion was quickly controlled. No one was evacuated, although people staying in an adjacent apartment were relocated. Technician Bob Cafrey had turned the apartment's gas off and plugged the line before the blast, Zidonis said. Cafrey apparently wasn't inside the apartment when the explosion occurred.
Cafrey was taken to Akron General Medical Center, where he was treated for bumps and bruises, and released, Zidonis said.
Fire officials estimated the blast caused $80,000 worth of damage.
Dominion East distributes natural gas to 1.2 million customers in northeast Ohio.