A house explosion in Gates, near Rochester, New York, on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2020, caused irreparable damages. Someone reported the burning house after 6 p.m. ET.
The captain of Ridge Road Fire District, Brian Gebo, reported the house is no longer standing.
The homeowners are said to have not been home while the house was on fire. Additionally, no injuries have been reported. All utilities have been shut off.
The explosion caused firefighters to evacuate residents in proximity to the home as well as redirect motorists.
The blaze was so overwhelming that over 119 fire personnel came out to manage the blaze — from 30 fire departments.
People took to social media to describe the explosion.
One person wrote:
Husband saw the explosion said he didn’t know where it came from but it’s massive almost like a mushroom cloud whole sky lit up orange.
A nearby neighbor posted:
Unreal…the house on the street across from us just blew up!
Another neighbor reported:
Saw this explosion tonight on drive home from 490 — huge mushroom cloud. Scary.
News outlets report that other eyewitnesses said the house was an inferno.
The incident was captured on video and showed the flames blazing higher than a neighboring two-story home.
The only reported damages to nearby homes are to a garage that was destroyed. Gebo said the cause of the explosion is unknown.
Gebo also told reporters the burned down house left a huge area of debris.
Firefighters battled the blaze for almost an hour before it was under control.
The impact was so massive and widespread, one person on social media said, “Our house shook like an earthquake, about a mile away.”
Written by Sheree Bynum
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Source:
USA Today: ‘It looked like a big flame ball’: Home explosion rocks Gates, New York, neighborhood; Victoria E. Freile
Featured Image Courtesy of Kevin Baird’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of C. Holmes’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
