Propane gas leak causes house explosion

WAYNE TOWNSHIP, Ohio - Investigators said a propane gas leak was the cause of a house explosion in the 4200 block of Oxford Middletown Road in Wayne Township Friday morning.

They said that because of the amount of damage they would not be able to determine if the explosion was set off by a spark from the air conditioning fan motor or the hot water heater’s pilot light.

The explosion happened around 9:25 a.m. Friday. The homeowners Doug and Donna Idle were away on vacation for the holiday weekend. No one else was in the home at the time of the explosion.

Their granddaughter was one of the first in the family to show up.

"I called them and I just broke into tears... There's nothing left." said Chloe Idle.

The Idles’ son, who does not reside in the house, received a phone call from a friend of his on the fire department, police said. Neighbors called 911 after hearing and seeing the explosion.

One neighbor said it felt like an earthquake. Another said it sounded like thunder and she saw a huge mushroom shaped cloud.

"It just kept blowing stuff up," said Lois Frasher.

Doug and Donna Idle rushed home from Lake Cumberland when they learned about the explosion. They arrived home to be greeted with hugs from friends.