Port Arthur, TX – The Port Arthur Fire Marshal has ruled a natural gas leak in the attic was the cause of an explosion that destroyed a home and damaged buildings two blocks away.
The house blew up at 4:30 Sunday morning in the 2200 of Green Avenue in Port Arthur. Several people were cut by flying glass. No one was seriously hurt.
At about 4:30 Sunday morning Richard Crumbley got up to go to the store he never made it out the house. Crumbley said, “it said boom and blew me back in.” The force of the explosion three houses down knocked him to the ground. Crumbley said, “the windows blew out the back door blew out the pressure was so strong it cracked the roof and bent it.”
One day later Crumble and his neighbors are still in a daze. They could only stand and watch as firefighters, gas company crews, and workers with the Texas Railroad Commission looked over the damage.
The Port Arthur Fire Marshal wants the community to know no one is in danger and the department has the situation under control. Mark Mulliner says the gas has been cut off to what’s left of the home. Mulliner said “the gas company has told me they have gone about four houses in ever direction on both sides of the street and they have taken samples and they are not any traces of gas permeating away from the scene.”
Mulliner hopes this image sends a message to all Southeast Texas families. He said, “if you smell gas get out of the house and don’t turn on the lights. Don’t have any kind of ignition sources that could cause an explosion.”
No one was in this house when it exploded and neighbors say despite the damage to their homes the most important thing is no one was seriously hurt.
The Texas Railroad Commission is also investigating. The commission expects to finish a report within 45 days.