A powerful explosion leveled a home on Wilson Street on Friday morning, and two men were pulled from the wreckage alive by bystanders who rushed to their aid.
The blast occurred at approximately 11 a.m. at 48 Wilson Street in the city’s Houghton Plot neighborhood, sending a shock wave that badly damaged nearby homes and was heard or felt all over the city.
Several bystanders who arrived on the scene shortly after the blast heard yelling and pulled two men from the basement, beneath a huge, burning pile of debris. Both victims were badly burned and bleeding but were able to speak and walk.
“I was home for lunch and heard the explosion, I looked out the door, saw smoke and quickly ran over to the site,” said East Pulteney Street resident Dave Dann. “When I got there I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. The damage was something I thought I would never see.”
“I heard two men in the basement screaming for help and ran over and started getting the debris which was blocking them in,” Dann added. “Both could stand but were badly burned. You could see skin hanging. It was terrible. I even got a little burnt helping them out. It was awful. I’m glad they’re alive.”
After being helped from the wreckage by bystanders and arriving police and firefighters, the victims were taken away by ambulance and airlifted to Rochester’s Strong Memorial Hospital.
The victims were identified as Robert Young, 86, the homeowner, and his grandson, Paul Young, 38, of Ohio.
Both men were listed in guarded condition as of Friday evening. Guarded condition means a patient’s injuries are life-threatening.
They were the only people inside the home at the time of the explosion. Young’s wife is at a nursing home.
The Youngs had been replacing a hot water heater in the basement at the time of the explosion, they told the bystanders who helped them.
The explosion is suspected to be gas-related but the cause has not been determined yet, said Corning Fire Chief John Tighe.
Corning Natural Gas crews shut off gas service in the immediate area. Extensive testing revealed no danger to neighbors in Houghton Plot, Sleve said.
The state’s Public Service Commission and Office of Fire Prevention and Control is assisting city fire investigators in the investigation.
Four nearby homes were ruled unsafe to enter by fire officials, and three more were classified as "enter at own risk." About 20 other homes had minor damage.
A powerful explosion leveled a home on Wilson Street on Friday morning, and two men were pulled from the wreckage alive by bystanders who rushed to their aid.
The blast occurred at approximately 11 a.m. at 48 Wilson Street in the city’s Houghton Plot neighborhood, sending a shock wave that badly damaged nearby homes and was heard or felt all over the city.
Several bystanders who arrived on the scene shortly after the blast heard yelling and pulled two men from the basement, beneath a huge, burning pile of debris. Both victims were badly burned and bleeding but were able to speak and walk.
“I was home for lunch and heard the explosion, I looked out the door, saw smoke and quickly ran over to the site,” said East Pulteney Street resident Dave Dann. “When I got there I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. The damage was something I thought I would never see.”
“I heard two men in the basement screaming for help and ran over and started getting the debris which was blocking them in,” Dann added. “Both could stand but were badly burned. You could see skin hanging. It was terrible. I even got a little burnt helping them out. It was awful. I’m glad they’re alive.”
After being helped from the wreckage by bystanders and arriving police and firefighters, the victims were taken away by ambulance and airlifted to Rochester’s Strong Memorial Hospital.
The victims were identified as Robert Young, 86, the homeowner, and his grandson, Paul Young, 38, of Ohio.
Both men were listed in guarded condition as of Friday evening. Guarded condition means a patient’s injuries are life-threatening.
They were the only people inside the home at the time of the explosion. Young’s wife is at a nursing home.
The Youngs had been replacing a hot water heater in the basement at the time of the explosion, they told the bystanders who helped them.
The explosion is suspected to be gas-related but the cause has not been determined yet, said Corning Fire Chief John Tighe.
Corning Natural Gas crews shut off gas service in the immediate area. Extensive testing revealed no danger to neighbors in Houghton Plot, Sleve said.
The state’s Public Service Commission and Office of Fire Prevention and Control is assisting city fire investigators in the investigation.
Four nearby homes were ruled unsafe to enter by fire officials, and three more were classified as "enter at own risk." About 20 other homes had minor damage.
There were windows shattered, walls blown out and roofs punctured by flying debris. Pieces of lumber were stuck in trees, insulation dangled from power lines, and a mattress sat on the roof of a nearby home. A garage door across the street was warped and bent.
Dozens of frightened and concerned neighbors gathered as police and fire rushed to the scene, and streets were blocked off in the area. Police and firefighters went door-to-door, checking on neighbors and evacuating nearby houses.
Ten area fire departments assisted at the scene, as well as New York State Police and the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office. NYSEG responded along with Corning Natural Gas.
The American Red Cross provided food and water to all responders and offered shelter to ten families forced to leave their homes, but all were planning to stay with friends or relatives, said Red Cross spokeswoman Colleen Kean.
