Norwalk Fire Fighters Assoc. Local 830

Posted on 12/23/2009
NORWALK HOUR NEWSPAPER
Hour Staff Reports

Neighbors of an Ohio Avenue Extension house leveled by a gas explosion Tuesday night say it was like nothing they have ever experienced. MacKenzie McNeill, who lives across the street, said the explosion sounded like a "boulder falling on my house. Then I heard the woman who lives there screaming. She was screaming so loud ..."

A man, woman and baby all escaped the explosion. Only the man was admitted to the hospital with injuries. The Red Cross said the mother and baby stayed with family last night. The names of the family members have not been released. Norwalk Fire Marshall Glen Iannaccone said that they believe the gas leak started in the street and made its way into the family's basement. Investigators are trying to determine what caused the leak. State Rep. Christopher R. Perone, who lives within a half-mile of the explosion site, said he called Yankee Gas Co. Wednesday morning to ask the company to restore gas service to his neighbors. "The situation is 24 homes are without gas. What we don't want is people without heat in 18 degree weather," Perone said. "That's the problem. It's just a bad time of year for that. So I'm just pressuring them to restore service as soon as possible." John Morgali who lives four houses down from the explosion said he also heard the screams of help from the mother. He said a neighbor took the baby from her and to safety. "The man looked OK while being taken away on the stretcher," said Morgali who explained that the man fell from the second story of the house. "He was just staring back at the house." The gas supply in the neighborhood has turned off and is not expected to be turned back on until 4 p.m. today. Norwalk City Hall has been open and is being used as a shelter for anyone without heat. Residents impacted by the event should contact Yankee gas at (800) 942-7529. The Norwalk Fire Dept notified residents in the area about the shutoff at 5:45 a.m. using the Notify Norwalk (Code Red) system, according to fire officials.