Investigators Hunt for gas Leak After Centreville House Explosion
Emergency crews and utility teams continued methodical work Tuesday in a residential Centreville neighborhood after a home explosion late Sunday night that injured two people and forced dozens of families from their homes. Authorities are narrowing the search for a natural gas leak while assessing structural safety and restoring service for affected residents.
Scene under control but many homes still impacted
The explosion occurred Sunday at around 9: 45 p. m. ET on Quail Pond Court. Two people suffered non-life-threatening injuries, including one person who was inside the home when the blast happened. Firefighters have been going door-to-door to measure gas levels in homes and monitor the area for lingering hazards.
As of Tuesday afternoon ET, fire officials deemed 46 houses unsafe to occupy and 82 residences remained without natural gas service. Crews have blocked off roads near the damaged house and established an exclusion zone while utility companies work to isolate affected lines. Readings taken by fire personnel are trending downward overall, driven in part by crews cordoning off and sectioning gas lines in the neighborhood.
Utility crews dig, test and piece together a layered network
Investigators are focused on determining which pipeline or distribution line caused the leak. There are at least five gas transmission lines in the area, operated by more than one company. The lines vary widely in size, from roughly 2 inches in diameter up to 42 inches.
Assistant Chief of Operations Eric Craven said the recovery and investigation work is proceeding as a process of elimination. Crews are excavating in multiple locations to expose lines one at a time because the utilities are layered and crisscross in the ground. That prevents teams from working on overlapping lines simultaneously and slows the pace of repairs.
Craven noted that if the leak stems from a smaller line — for example 2 or 6 inches in diameter — the current evacuation distances and safety measures provide reasonable protection. If, however, a larger transmission line is the source, the evacuation radius could expand substantially. In a worst-case scenario, the perimeter could grow to a quarter mile from the suspected leak location.
The size of the affected line will also influence how long residents remain displaced. Craven estimated the evacuation and repair process could last another 24 to 72 hours, allowing the utility companies and investigators to identify the leaking segment, expose and repair it, test the system, and then safely restore service to the community.
Investigative agencies and next steps
Fire and rescue personnel are supporting utility crews as they pinpoint the source of the leak, and a federal investigative agency is involved to examine the incident. Officials say some homes show slight concentrations of gas while many have zero readings; any remaining odor or low-level readings are likely coming up through soil in places where gas was present prior to the explosion.
Work will continue at multiple excavation sites until crews can positively identify the compromised line, make necessary repairs and clear homes for reoccupation. Officials emphasize resident safety as the top priority and plan to maintain monitoring and testing until service is restored and the area is confirmed safe.
