Gas Explosion At West Haverstraw Townhouse

WEST HAVERSTRAW — Leaking gas from a ruptured line blew up a townhouse today, causing a large gas-fed blaze that turned the building into a pile of rubble and led emergency responders to evacuate more than 100 homes and call for medical helicopter to transport at least two injured West Haverstraw firefighters to the Westchester County Medical Center.

The explosion left much of West Haverstraw without electricity as utility crews turned off power to avoid the possibility of sparks setting off more gas explosions.

The firefighters were at the door of the townhouse on Zarriello Lane off Route 9W when the explosion occurred at 12:37 p.m., injuring at least two volunteers seriously and an unknown number of other volunteers.

“They knocked on the door at 52 Zarriello right before the explosion,” Orange and Rockland Utilities spokesman Michael Donovan said. “No one answered, so we assume no one was home.”

Dozens of people, including the Haverstraw police Chief Charles Miller and other responders, were kept far away from the scene, for fear of additional explosions.

Emergency personnel said they didn’t know how much gas had leaked from the sewers into other clusters of townhouses in the development after a road construction crew ruptured a gas line. Part of the development is located behind the Hi-Tor Lanes bowling alley and KFC

Miller said he didn’t know the conditions of those injured and wasn’t told about any fatalities.

Emergency personnel set up headquarters at the nearby bowling alley and prepared a landing strip for the medical helicopter at West Haverstraw Elementary School.

Rockland Emergency Services Coordinator Gordon Wren Jr. said a routine gas leak response by West Haverstraw firefighters turned into a castrophe when the house exploded. He said a gas main ruptured and the gas went into the sewerage system and seeped into the houses.

Donovan said at 12:13 p.m. the utility was told that a road construction crew hit a gas main while digging. The utility sent a crew and firefighters were told to begin evacuating the area.

O&R crews were shutting down power to the area and Haverstraw Transit Co. sent three buses to Stop&Shop.

West Haverstraw Gas Explosion: MyFoxNY.com