Gas explosion in Twinsburg Township destroys homes, injures two

A natural-gas explosion on Hiram Lane in the Woodlands neighborhood of Twinsburg Township destroyed three homes, injured at least two people and left a suburban street in Summit County littered with debris and fire damage. Crews installing fiber-optic cable had struck an underground gas line before the blast, turning routine utility work into a fast-moving public-safety emergency.

The Twinsburg Fire Department issued a shelter-in-place order for nearby streets as the gas cloud spread, citing the amount of natural gas in the area and low wind. Residents heard a massive boom and initially thought an earthquake or a falling tree had hit the neighborhood, then saw flames and wreckage along Hiram Lane. The residents of the home where the explosion started were not home at the time.

The damage count climbed as crews and investigators continued to assess the scene. The number of damaged homes rose from 20 to 23 to at least 36, including roughly 12 with severe damage on Hiram Lane and more homes on Fairway Boulevard in neighboring Hudson. At least two people were taken to the hospital, and there were no severe injuries or deaths. Fire Chief Earl Wilson said a mattress was thrown about 40 feet into a tree.

The City of Twinsburg halted all boring, missiling, drilling and related underground utility operations until further notice, and Green, Hudson and Stow also temporarily stopped directional drilling after the explosion. Enbridge Gas Ohio shut off gas to the affected neighborhood, made the area safe and remained on scene working to repair the pipeline and restore service.

The State Fire Marshal’s office is leading the investigation, and the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Fire and Explosion Investigations Bureau handles the origin and cause of fires and explosions in Ohio.