Barberton's Belleview Avenue was the site of a profound disturbance when a house, sold just hours earlier, violently exploded yesterday evening. According to FOX8 News, the Barberton Fire Department, the State Fire Marshal, and the ATF are set to investigate the premises today. Despite the drastic outcome, no injuries have been reported, with the Fire Chief, Stephen Ionno, confirming the house was vacant at the time of the incident.
Chief Ionno explained to FOX8 News that although the home's appliances were capped, both electrical and gas services remained on following the sale. The explosion, which took place shortly before 6:30 p.m., prompted the State Fire Marshal's Office and ATF agents to attend the scene quickly. During the preliminary investigation, firefighters utilized a drone to survey the interior safely, ensuring no one was inside at the time of the blast.
Local residents were left astonished by the sudden blast, with neighbor Leanna Stillings recounting to FOX8 News that "The ground shook and we actually thought it was a little bit of an earthquake." Barberton police have also stepped into the fold, securing surveillance footage to assess if "anything that would have been suspicious prior to," the explosion occurred, as noted by Chief Ionno.
The devastation of the home, detailed in photographs by WKYC, underscores the severity of the explosion, which rendered the home a pile of debris. All the while, officials continued to probe into the possible causes, with both Embridge technicians and ATF agents being involved in the intricate examination of gas lines and potential factors. Neighbor John Stubblefield, still jarred by the event, told Cleveland19 News, "I was in the house watching TV, actually the whole house shook. I got my wife and I told her to get your coat on and get out of the house because we didn’t know what was going on. Come out here and the whole house across the street was laying in the road. It just completely exploded."
