Lancaster County building explosion: Pennsylvania storage building accident damages several homes

On the morning of Wednesday, July 5, an explosion in a Lancaster County storage house caused damage to almost a dozen homes in the nearby vicinity. According to USA Today, authorities are still investigating the incident.

While officials have not confirmed the cause of the explosion, workers at the storage house believe it stemmed from a propane leak that occurred after a heater in the building fell out of the ceiling. No one was injured in the incident.

Trigger warning: This article concerns an accident, the reader's discretion is advised

According to Jere Swarr, the Supervisor of Lancaster County's Rapho Township, the storage house that exploded in the incident housed dump trucks, snow plows, and road maintenance equipment. The clean-up process is currently underway. Local 21 News reported that the estimated cost of the total damage is between five and ten million dollars.

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The timeline of the Lancaster County building explosion

According to Brad Wolf, the supervisor of Lancaster County 911, the initial reports of a propane leak were made at approximately 5:45 am on Wednesday morning.

Six workers at the storage unit entered the building, and one of them recognized what they described as the smell of propane. As an anticipatory measure, the workers shut off the building's gas valves before evacuating.

Jere Swarr commended the quick thinking of the worker who noticed the smell of propane.

"It looks like it got an overhead hit from a bomb" he said after the blast. "I'm told people felt or heard it about 6 or 7 miles away. We have absolutely no equipment left − not even a road sign. But we've had an outpouring of help from neighbors this morning. Thankfully he didn't turn that light switch on. We could have had six fatalities. Instead we have a hero," Swarr said.

Swarr said that the Lancaster County explosion occurred shortly after the workers left the building. The scale of the accident was such that it could be heard from at least six miles away.

"It looks like it got an overhead hit from a bomb. (...) We have absolutely no equipment left − not even a road sign. But we've had an outpouring of help from neighbors this morning," Swarr added.

Despite the extensive damage, Swarr mentioned he was amazed by the lack of deaths or serious injuries in the incident. However, the explosion has left residents of Lancaster County shaken, and many people had to temporarily vacate their homes as the cleanup process took place.

Lori Shenk, of the Rapho Township Emergency Management Agency, said that there are still propane tankers on the property. Shenk added that if bystanders see flames, they should not be alarmed, as it will be an inevitable part of the cleanup process.