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House explodes in Prince William County after gas leak, 3 pets killed

A house in Haymarket, Virginia, exploded after a gas leak was reported on Tuesday afternoon. (Courtesy Loudoun County Fire Fighters Association)
A house in Haymarket, Virginia, exploded after a gas leak was reported on Tuesday afternoon. (Courtesy Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue)
A house in Haymarket, Virginia, exploded after a gas leak was reported on Tuesday afternoon. (Courtesy Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue)
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Firefighters battled a two-alarm fire after a house exploded Tuesday in Prince William County, Virginia, following a reported gas leak.

It happened on the 5900 block of Colby Hunt Court in Haymarket around 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday.

Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue crews were at the house for the report of the gas leak around 4:15 p.m. Then around 5:30 p.m., a unit still on the scene reported the home had exploded.

Residents up to three miles away reported feeling their homes shake around the time of the explosion.

²ÝÝ®´«Ã½’s Dick Uliano reported from the scene Tuesday night and confirmed no injuries were reported but that the homeowner’s pets — two cats and a dog — were killed in the explosion.

²ÝÝ®´«Ã½'s Dick Uliano reports live from the scene in Haymarket where a home exploded after a gas leak

One of the homeowners, Jarrett Struniak, told ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ he and his family were outside the home for about 20 minutes when their neighbors started being evacuated as well.

“They called the fire department around 4:17 p.m., from what I understand, and by 5:30 p.m., the house was up in flames,” Struniak said. “Once … I heard the bang, everything else just kind of went quiet after that. … It’s crazy how surreal and silent things go when you’re watching everything go up in flames.”

“I lost a 10-year best friend and 4-year-old cat that was very much part of our family,” he said.

No injuries were reported other than the animals, as the home was evacuated during the earlier call. Officials said there is no further danger to the surrounding community. Eight homes will have their natural gas service disrupted for up to two days, fire officials said.

Matt Smolsky, assistant chief of community safety with Prince William County Fire and Rescue, said it is still unknown what started the fire, but initial reports involved an underground contractor striking a natural gas line.

First responders with the county said in a Facebook post that multiple units on the scene are also searching nearby homes for fire or gas leaks. The Washington Gas company was also on the scene to secure the leak.

said the two families that lived in the home, consisting of four adults and two children, have been displaced. The Red Cross plan to assist the families.

It is the second house explosion in Virginia this year. In February, a firefighter was killed and 13 others were injured after a leaking propane tank led to an explosion at a home in Sterling.

Piedmont Vista Drive is closed off between Hardwood Hill Way and Sorrell Hunt Road, and motorists are being asked to use alternate routes.

Below is a map of where the explosion took place:

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Ciara Wells

Ciara Wells is the Evening Digital Editor at ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½. She is a graduate of American University where she studied journalism and Spanish. Before joining ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½, she was the opinion team editor at a student publication and a content specialist at an HBCU in Detroit.

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