What to Know
- An explosion leveled most of a 9,000-square-foot Gladwyne home Sunday night.
- Rubble littered the lawn while chunks of debris clung to tree branches.
- The fire marshal and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating.
An explosion flattened most of a 9,000-square-foot house in Lower Merion Sunday night, causing a thunderous boom that could be heard throughout the region.
Emergency responders rushed to the home, located in the 600 block of Dodds Lane in Gladwyne, shortly after 8 p.m.
The apparent gas explosion destroyed approximately 75 percent of house, which had been undergoing extensive renovations, Lower Merion police said.
The homeowners were inside their guest house at the time of the explosion, but no injuries were reported, police said. Rubble littered the lawn while chunks of debris clung to tree branches in neighboring properties.
Steve Liebowitz, 60, who lives about a half a mile away, said the boom sounded as if it was right in his backyard and he initially feared his outdoor grill may have exploded before he realized what had happened.
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"We were actually afraid," he said. "In today's world, you don't know what kind of explosion happened or whether it was a gunshot."
PECO sent employees to the scene to help first responders and secure the area, the utility company said. Additional gas leaks did not pose a threat to the public, PECO said.
But people took to Twitter and other social media outlets to share their stories of hearing, and even feeling, the explosion. Twitter user Larry Borden said his own window pane cracked, while others wondered if they heard a sonic boom.
Officials do not suspect foul play. The fire marshal and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating.
