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The Syracuse Fire Department’s Investigation Bureau determined a natural gas pipe leak caused the North Side house collapse that injured two families on Tuesday, Fire Chief Michael Monds said during a Friday afternoon press conference.

Monds said a gas explosion in the home’s basement caused the collapse that hospitalized 11 Tuesday afternoon, in line with initial reports of a strong gas odor at the scene. Authorities have not yet determined what ignited the blast, he said.

SFD — alongside the Syracuse Police Department, National Grid, the New York State Public Service Commission and an agent with the local United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives field office — began its investigation into the explosion’s cause Wednesday, after primarily focusing on rescue efforts Tuesday, Monds said.

After National Grid found no issue with the street’s gas service line, the investigation team shifted its focus to potential causes inside the home, Monds said. Investigators removed the basement gas meter and examined the two natural gas pipelines in the house. One of these lines, intended to be connected to a clothes dryer unit, was found open and not capped, he said. No clothes dryer was present at the scene and the line was not attached to any appliance.

“This specific gas pipe had a shutoff valve on it, and it was found that that shutoff valve was in the fully-open position,” Monds said. “The cause and origin of the explosion has been determined to be a free-flowing natural gas leak … in the area of the basement where a dryer hookup should’ve been located.”

Investigators believe the pipe’s shutoff valve had been open since at least 9 a.m. Tuesday morning, as the department had received calls reporting smells of gas around the home at that time, Fire Investigation Bureau Captain Joseph Fenell said. None of the 13 people inside the home at the time have reported turning on the gas line, he said.

Fenell said the investigation team suspects that the valve may have been opened accidentally. After investigating, SFD, SPD and the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that the home did not have any active code violations at the time of the explosion, he said. Police do not currently intend to press criminal charges in connection with the incident, Monds said.

With the basement gas line open, Fennel said, an action like turning on a light switch could have ignited the explosion.

Monds also provided updates on some statuses of the collapse victims – two families totaling four adults and nine children – at Friday’s conference. After the collapse, 11 individuals were admitted to SUNY Upstate University Hospital. As of Thursday evening, five have been discharged from the hospital, and three are in “good condition,” he said.

The two youngest victims, a 2-year-old and an 8-month-old, remain in critical condition as of Thursday, Monds said.

The city is in the process of removing the structure where the home stood now that it has concluded its investigation, Monds said.

Published on June 21, 2024 at 4:32 pm

Contact Julia: jmboehni@syr.edu