Mobile home leveled when fire leads to explosion in Westmoreland County

SEWICKLEY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A mobile home was leveled after a fire led to an explosion Thursday evening in Sewickley Township, Westmoreland County.

Neighbors on Sutersville Road said it felt like a bomb went off, rocking their neighborhood. They said after the initial explosion, they felt three other small blasts.

Officials said Friday that the incident started as a fire. The explosion happened when flames hit oxygen tanks inside the home.

Officials said the man who lived in the mobile home was not there at the time and was not hurt.

“By the time we got here, the fire was extensively through one side of the trailer. We did our best to knock down the flames and put it out with the help from area mutual aid,” said Lowber Volunteer Fire Chief John VanDyke.

CSX railroad runs trains near the explosion scene. A company representative told Channel 11 it received a call around 7:30 p.m. from Westmoreland County officials requesting train traffic be halted due to the fire and explosion. Trains were not being run through the area for a time as fire hoses were placed across the tracks.

The cause of the fire is being ruled undetermined, officials said.

Here is a map showing the location:

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Cox Media Group