fbpx

|

Fire investigators focus on valve, gas piping in PV home explosion

Share this story:


Fire Marshall Todd Kerkhoff said the investigation into the explosion that ripped through a Prairie Village home Sunday has narrowed to the natural gas piping and valve running to a fireplace on the exterior of the house.

The scene is still cordoned off as investigators wait to have a final test conducted to determine precisely where the leak originated. Kerkhoff said the department is scheduled to perform that test Thursday.

The ignition source came from a fire the family had going in the exterior fireplace at the time of the explosion, which tore through the back of the house, leaving broken glass and rubble strewn through the living room and kitchen area.

Prairie Village Mayor Ron Shaffer, who lives near the scene of the explosion, said the shock waves were detectable a few blocks away.

“You could feel it, and then hear the broken glass tinkling down,” Shaffer said. “It was serious stuff.”

The family who lives in the home is staying with relatives, Kerkhoff said.

About the author

Jay Senter
Jay Senter

Jay Senter is the founder and publisher of the Post.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in business at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where he worked as a reporter and editor at The Badger Herald.

He went on to receive a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas, where he earned the Calder Pickett Award. While he was in graduate school, he also worked as a reporter for the Lawrence Journal-World.

LATEST HEADLINES