Woman injured in suspected natural gas explosion, fire in Amherst Township mobile home park

AMHERST TWP. — A woman was transported to the hospital after suffering burns in an explosion and fire that fire officials suspect was caused by natural gas Wednesday. Amherst firefighters were alerted shortly after 2 p.m. that an explosion caused an injury in the Westwood Estates mobile home park off Quarry Road, according to Assistant Chief Brandon Dimacchia. When firefighters arrived on the scene, Dimacchia said they found the woman who had suffered burn injuries. No one else was home at the time, he said. The victim's burns were second and possibly third degree, according to Chief Jim Wilhelm. LifeCare Ambulance paramedics arrived on the scene and provided care to the patient. She later was taken to Mercy Health-Lorain Hospital, then to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland for additional treatment. No update on her condition was available from the fire department Wednesday evening. The victim's name has not been released. Dimacchia said the first Amherst Fire Department unit on the scene began working on suppressing the fire. "Additional units from Amherst fire and surrounding communities for mutual aid arrived and continued to extinguish the fire," he said. The Lorain County Sheriff's Office also responded. By the time the fire was put out, the mobile home was entirely charred, with its walls bowed outward. Two vehicles in the driveway — a Toyota sedan and Dodge pickup — also were burned, and damage was also reported at neighboring properties. Investigation into the cause of the explosion and fire is ongoing, and the state Fire Marshal's office was asked to respond to Amherst Township because of the injury. Columbia Gas and Ohio Edison secured the utilities at the property. Columbia Gas spokesman Bill Loomer said Wednesday evening the company's system tested safe and there were no leaks in the immediate area of the mobile home. Columbia Gas owns "everything up to the house," he said, so it is possible a line downstream of what Columbia owns could have been to blame. Loomer said residents should know the company's system was found to be functioning as it should. Dimacchia said Amherst firefighters found nothing suspicious at the scene. "It appears faulty supply lines in the area may be the cause," he said Wednesday evening, adding that fire department investigators have not finished their reports yet. At the scene, Dimacchia said no witnesses to the explosion had come forward, but multiple residents heard the loud "boom" noise. Dimacchia said Sheriff's Office detectives who interviewed people in the area found that multiple residents "claim that earlier today, they smelled natural gas," but the Amherst Fire Department had not received any calls for the odor of natural gas before the fire. One neighbor who lives near the burned mobile home recalled the moment he heard the explosion. Vincenzo Battaglia's residence is nearby on the other side of the street, and he said he was inside watching television when he heard the booming noise. Battaglia said he knew who lived in the mobile home and described her as a nice lady. No firefighters were hurt while battling the fire. Bruce Bishop contributed to this story. Contact the reporter Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.