Why Do Houses Explode?

House explosions can kill and injure those inside and outside the structure. What happened is unique in each case, but investigators often follow the same approach to develop a cause. Without knowing the cause, it’s difficult to start legal claims over who’s responsible.

A Cleveland Plains Dealer article about a January 2016 house explosion southeast of Cleveland illustrates the issues investigators face.

Suburban Home Explodes

The home was where Cynthia and Jeffrey Mather lived with their two daughters. Dispatchers got a call about an explosion, and firefighters got to the scene less than ten minutes later. The roof on the 2,400-square-foot house was missing. The house was engulfed in fire, and all the members of the Mather family were dead.

From 2007 to 2011, about 51,600 fires started with the ignition of flammable gas. One fire investigator, Richard Meier, claimed to have seen houses blown to pieces the size of toothpicks.

Meier worked for a private investigative agency hired by the local fire department to determine the cause of the explosion and fire. He recently worked on cases involving exploding houses in Detroit, similar to the one at the Mather home.

Most Explosions are Caused by Natural Gas or Propane

Most of them start with fuel gas, such as propane or natural gas. If it leaks into a house, the gas may build up. How quickly that happens varies, but after the air and fuel mixture reaches a certain point, a small spark can ignite the gas and cause the explosion. The energy needed to set off the explosion could come from any electric source and can be one-sixteenth of the energy of a lit cigarette lighter.

Investigators will look at burn patterns to see the location of the ignition source, but where the fuel came from is more important. They also try to determine how much fuel was in the house by looking at the fire pattern.

If there was a lot of gas in the air, there may be more than one explosion. As windows and walls collapse, there’s a burst of additional air, reigniting remaining fuel. If the ratio of air to fuel is about even, the explosion may completely destroy a structure in one blast. When investigators understand how much gas was involved, they can estimate when the leak started.

A fire following an explosion can destroy critical evidence of the cause. The damage may hide a leaky gas pipe or appliance if a secondary fire burns long. A fire quickly put out may leave clues as to what happened and why. The fire at the Mather home was extinguished in about 30 minutes.

Did the Gas Come from Inside or Outside the House?

The house was constructed in 1994 and was connected to a natural gas line. Meier said the chances of gas coming from outside were low because the house was relatively new.

An outside gas leak could happen during the winter when the top layer of soil is frozen. Gas can travel through the utility ditch, where the soil is less firm, and seep into a basement, crawl spaces, and between walls.

The Mathers were at home at the time of the explosion. When someone smells leaking gas, there should be enough time to shut off the gas or leave the building and call for help. However, the chemicals used to create the smell could be scrubbed away by frozen ground or rusty pipes.

Most, but not all, house explosions are caused by some kind of gas, but it could be something else. How powerful the explosion, measured by the energy released, is a clue to the cause, which may be intentional and caused by explosives.

The Explosion’s Unexpected Cause

As it turns out, lit gasoline started the fire, according to News 5 Cleveland. About two months after the Plains Dealer article, the county medical examiner ruled the family died in a murder-suicide.

Jeffrey Mather attempted suicide a month before the explosion and told police he had severe, untreated depression. A gas can was found by his remains. A gas leak may have been intentionally started before the fire was set.

An autopsy found that Cynthia Mather overdosed on Prozac, though it was unknown if she voluntarily took the pills or was forced to by her husband. Given the lack of smoke in the daughters’ lungs, it appeared they were unconscious or dead before the explosion.

Get The Legal Help You Need

If you’re injured in a gas explosion, or a family member was killed in one, you may be entitled to compensation for the harm you suffer. To speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer about your gas explosion claim, contact our Louisville law offices online or by telephone at 855-385-9532. We can discuss your case, how Kentucky law may apply, and how you should proceed.