House explosion in York County badly burns one, building to be razed

(Hanover) — A house explosion resulted in a three-alarm fire that injured one person at 650 Baltimore Street in Penn Township in York County Saturday afternoon. 

Hanover Fire Chief Anthony Clousher said one victim was badly burned and was taken from the scene by a medical helicopter. 

The building had four apartments, and a separate building attached to the back houses two units, Clousher said. He estimated four to six people were displaced because of the fire. The Red Cross was at the scene to help the displaced. 

Clousher said the cause of the fire is undetermined, but Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania was at the scene. According to Clousher, there were four gas meters on the north side of the building where the fire started. Columbia Gas will dig up the natural gas line and shut it off tonight, which should not impact any neighbors, Clousher said. 

“Any time you have an explosion, the first thing that comes to your mind is, ‘Was it natural gas?’” Clousher said.  

Clousher couldn’t begin to estimate the value of the fire. He said the building will be razed Saturday night, and a building on the north side of the fire had some damage from the explosion but no structural damage. 

 

This story comes to us through a partnership between WITF and The Hanover Evening Sun.