HILLTOWN TOWNSHIP, Pa. – — A home on Highview Road in Hilltown Township was destroyed by a massive propane explosion, leaving the property in ruins and sending one person to the hospital, according to officials.
What we know:
At least one person was injured when a house on Highview Road in Hilltown Township exploded on Monday morning.
Footage from SkyFOX shows the obliterated remains of the former two-story house.
Christopher Engelhart, Chief of Hilltown Township Police, said a contractor was working on the house when the explosion happened.
The worker was taken to a local hospital in unknown condition, but is expected to survive, Chief Engelhart said.
Dig deeper:
The 3-bedroom farmhouse at 130 Highview Road was leveled by a propane explosion in the morning, according to officials. Debris from the blast scattered in multiple directions, and the force could be felt several towns away.
A worker renovating the kitchen reported smelling gas before the explosion, according to homeowner Steve Kendra. Moments later, the worker was seen crawling out of the debris and was helped by a neighbor who is a doctor until an ambulance arrived.
Investigators from the Bucks County Fire Marshal, Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal, and ATF are working to determine the exact cause of the explosion. “They will dig into that rubble to see exactly what is going on and the source of that explosion was,” said Chief Christopher Engelhart, Hilltown Township Police.
The farmhouse was recently featured in Elle Décor magazine and was designed by an internationally recognized award-winning interior designer. The current owners were not living in the home at the time as they renovate. They are currently vacationing in Costa Rica but have been notified of the explosion.
The contractor who was injured is in the hospital with a broken shoulder and burns. “He said I feel like my skin is melting screaming he had abrasions all over his body,” said Kendra.
What they’re saying:
The blast left the neighborhood shaken, but no other injuries were reported.
“I am almost in disbelief that this could happen right in front of my eyes. I want to buy a lottery ticket today because the fact I was completely uninjured at the end of the lane. Amazing,” said Kendra.
A neighbor told FOX 29’s Chris O’Connell he had just gotten into his car when the explosion happened.
“The house was just obliterated, I’ve not ever seen anything like it,” he said. “It was terrifying.”
What we don’t know:
The cause of the explosion is currently unknown.
Investigators say there were no natural gas lines running to the house, but there was a large propane tank used for a kitchen appliance.
The full extent of the damage to surrounding properties has not been detailed, and the current condition of the injured contractor has not been updated beyond initial reports.
