4 dead after home explosion in Ohio

ELLSWORTH, Ohio (WKBN) — Four people are dead after a Saturday morning home explosion in Ellsworth, Ohio. Multiple nearby homes were also damaged in the blast.

Dispatch and fire officials received calls around 7:15 a.m. for reports of an explosion on Huxley Road in Ellsworth Township, roughly 40 miles east of Akron.

Multiple area fire departments responded to the scene, as well as the state fire marshal, the county coroner, and a cadaver dog.

"The initial call was for a reported structure fire. That call was then upgraded to explosion. Initial crews on scene reported that the house was completely gone," said Ellsworth Assistant Fire Chief Jillian Smith. "It was a big scene we had. It was a lot of confusion. The search effort was confusing. So, having all that personnel was a benefit to us."

While the Ohio State Fire Marshal confirmed four people are dead, it's unclear if they were in the home. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation but authorities said there is no threat to the community.

Debris from the explosion was spread about half a mile from the scene. Surrounding homes suffered damage, including blown-in windows, cracked ceilings, and items being knocked off of shelves and cabinets. Some homes were even shifted on their foundations.

Even further away, a big boom was felt.

"We're two and a half miles away up off Duck Creek Road, and I could feel it like it was right here on the property," said Claudia Meredith. "I knew right away it wasn't a gun. It was too loud, and it sounded just like a bomb."

One neighbor, Sheila Gilmartin, couldn't believe it was real. She said there was nothing left of the home.

"It was real foggy this morning. So, you really couldn't see a lot. Then, we saw one neighbor get in his side-by-side with a fire extinguisher going up the road. When we got out to the road, we could see all the debris," Gilmartin said. "You think you're dreaming, You know, it's like, 'Okay am I dreaming? No.' So, it's pretty devastating."

Kyle Wills, Hanna Erdmann and Andrew Peterson contributed to this report.