Vernon House Explosion: More Tragedy Averted by 'Miracle' Circumstances, Police Say

VERNON, CT — As cleanup efforts and a fire marshal's investigation began Friday on East Street at the scene of a house explosion a day earlier, one common theme was repeated both inside and outside the police tape.

It was a "miracle" no one was killed. "It is an absolute miracle that is wasn't a lot worse," Vernon police spokesman Lt. William Meier said. Ditto for the neighbors.

"It's terrible, but it is also amazing that it was only one house," one East Street resident said while asking for anonymity.

The explosion at 4 East St. rocked the tight-knit neighborhood in the Rockville section of town at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday. That section of town features older houses packed close together surrounded by old factory complexes. The explosion blew out the lower section of the house, and the roof collapsed.

Inside the house were a 7-year-old boy, a 15-year-old boy, a 23-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman, police said.

Outside the home were two girls, 11 and 12, and a 60-year-old man, police said.

The two girls outside the home were taken to Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Meier said.

The 60-year-old refused medical attention at the scene, he said.

It was another story for those trapped. A police officer still at the scene Friday morning said he and others began approaching the home but were quickly advised it was unstable. A rescue team consisting of Vernon Assistant Fire Chief Stan Landry, Fire Lt. Dave Williams and firefighters Rich Harrison, Warren Boulette and Michael Levasseur then went inside and located some of the victims toward the front of the house Meier said.

Another crew that included Tolland and Ellington firefighters located people at the other end of the house, Fire Chief Bill Call said.

"There were a lot of people involved in the extrication," he said.

Those taken out of the house were then taken to CCMC, Meier said. Several of the survivors had to undergo surgeries, but Meier said they were beginning to recover Friday morning. One neighbor said he was worried the family dogs were lost in the explosion.

The attention then turned to site recovery. Meier said propane tanks were on the property but added it was too early to tell what role they may have had. He said local, state and federal authorities would be involved in determining the cause.

A neighbor, who said he has lived at 5 East St. for 14 years, was sitting on the stoop of his residence Friday, staring at a door that blew off the house and landed about 7 feet from his front door. A fence post that also flew from the explosion was sitting on his lawn, pointed at the home like a missile.

"I came home from work, jumped in the shower and was about to walk the dog," said the neighbor, who would only identify himself as Alan. "I started to go across the street, because we walk along the sidewalk near that house, but I turned around and went back into the house. I then heard the explosion and the whole house shook."

Alan said his wife ran across the street to the screaming resident on the lawn, but she was told to get back because the home was immediately determined to be unstable.

Firefighters then organized a search-and-rescue operation.

Meier said he had no timetable for when a cause might be determined.

One of the victims has been identified in a GoFundMe account highlighted on the Northeast School Facebook page called "Help Nicole Kerstetter Rebuild."

Here is the link to the account.

As of 1:30 p.m. Friday, $2,875 had been raised to assist the family.