Officials continue investigating explosion

WARREN -- Fire officials continue investigating a second unusual explosion of a city house in a month.
On Saturday morning an explosion rocked a home at 471 Oriole Place S.W., destroying the house and damaging five other nearby homes and three automobiles.
Firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished a small fire near a broken gas line, the Warren Fire Department reported. No one was injured in the blast, which occurred at around 7:30 a.m.
Dominion East Ohio Gas, Ohio Edison, the city water department and the police department were contacted to assist. The Red Cross also was called in to provide temporary residence for the neighbors displaced by the damage to their homes.
The explosion is similar to one that occurred at 844 Mercet Street N.E. on May 31. Two men were later charged with causing the explosion while attempting to steal copper pipe from the house and knocking down a gas line.
That house had to be demolished the next day to prevent any additional injuries to anyone who might get too near the unstable structure.