subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Wed, Feb 10 2010 

Published: November 23, 2009 10:07 pm    print this story  

Greenbrier home explodes; six injured

At least two ejected from house by blast; cause under investigation

By Tina Alvey
Register-Herald Reporter

An early morning explosion Monday leveled a McRoss home, injuring six people.

“All the victims were inside the house at the time of the explosion,” said Capt. Shawn Wolford of the Rainelle Volunteer Fire Department. McRoss is an unincorporated community between Charmco and Rainelle in western Greenbrier County.

At least two of the injured were thrown free of the rubble by the force of the blast.

“The call came in for the fire department at 7:15 a.m.,” Wolford said. “We arrived on scene within minutes, and two EMS units were already at the scene with the two subjects (who were blown out of the building) loaded up for transport. Then, we heard cries for help from the other side of the house and found the other four victims.”

The injured were taken by ambulance to Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Fairlea, where five of them were readied for transport to regional trauma centers in Charlottesville, Va., and Charleston. According to Greenbrier County Sheriff James J. Childers, the five most seriously injured people suffered burns and, in one instance, severe head trauma.

Those five victims are believed to be in critical condition, according to an updated release from Childers sent at 6:48 p.m. Monday. The other person has been released from Greenbrier Valley Medical Center.

A hazardous materials team from Lewisburg was dispatched to the emergency room at GVMC to decontaminate victims and emergency workers, which Wolford described as a precautionary measure.

Authorities would confirm the name of only one of the injured, Terry Patterson Sr., the owner of the home at 1520 Crosier Road where the incident occurred. Most the victims are members of Patterson’s family, according to Childers.

“Two investigators with the state Fire Marshal’s office are digging through the rubble, trying to get to the basement,” Childers said about 3 p.m. Monday. “They hope to find evidence there of what caused the explosion.”

Investigators canvassed the area and sifted through debris, according to the updated release. The West Virginia State Police aviation unit took aerial photos of the scene to assist investigators.

The sheriff would not speculate on the cause of the blast, which also caused minor damage to a neighboring home’s screen door.

In addition to the Fire Marshal and sheriff’s department, those responding to the incident included volunteer firefighters from Rupert, Quinwood, Smoot, Clintonville and Rainelle, along with several emergency medical responders.

Firefighters encountered “very heavy fire” upon arrival at the scene, Wolford noted. “Once we got the fire knocked down, we battled hot spots all morning long,” he said.

— E-mail: talvey@register-herald.com

print this story  

Photos


Lt. Shaun Spencer, white helmet, and firefighter Jeremy Qullen, both with Quinwood Volunteer Fire Department, hose down the remains of a house that exploded on Crosier Road in McRoss Monday. Six people were injured in the blast, which is under investigation. Rick Barbero/The Register-Herald (Click for larger image)


Tony Domingo, one of two assistant state fire marshals on the scene, carefully makes his way through the remains of the home on Crosier Road in McRoss in an effort to locate evidence that would point to the cause of the blast. According to Greenbrier County Sheriff James J. Childers, the five most seriously injured people suffered burns and, in one instance, severe head trauma. Rick Barbero/The Register-Herald (Click for larger image)


A Rainelle firefighter takes a break as he looks over the remains of a house that exploded Monday on Crosier Road in McRoss. Six people were injured in the blast, five of them seriously. The cause is under investigation. Rick Barbero/The Register-Herald (Click for larger image)



autoconx

Premier Guide
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide

Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!

Premium Jobs

CERTIFIED WV UNDERGROUND COAL MINER OPERATORS
GMS Mine Repair and Maintenance is seeking experienced Certified West Virginia Underground Coal Miner Operators. Immedia...>MORE

FIELD SERVICE TECHNICIANS
Immediate openings available. Field Service Technicians, Bluefield and Pineville. Carter Machinery Company, the authoriz...>MORE

COAL PROCESSING COMPANY - VARIOUS POSITIONS
Coal Processing Company has immediate openings for a Preparation Plant Control Room Operator, Plant Attendant, Electrici...>MORE

STORE ATTENDANT
Now taking applications for Store Attendant. This position is responsible for the movement of furniture in the store, l...>MORE

PLANT FOREMAN AND PLANT MAINTENANCE CHIEF
Nicholas Energy is accepting applications and resumes for Plant Foreman and Plant Maintenance Chief. If you are looking ...>MORE

COAL MINING POSITIONS - SPEED MINING
Speed Mining, LLC, an operating affiliate of Patriot Coal Corporation, has immediate openings at its American Eagle Mine...>MORE

NUTRITION EDUCATOR
Nutrition Educator. The West Virginia Emergency Medical Services Technical Support Network, Inc. (TSN) administers a Sup...>MORE

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT - NORTHERN GREENBRIER HEALTH CLINIC
Northern Greenbrier Health Clinic, Inc., headquartered in Williamsburg, WV has the following employment opportunity avai...>MORE

CERTIFIED SURFACE MINE ELECTRICIANS
Republic Energy is accepting applications and resumes for certified surface mine electricians. Experience with electric ...>MORE

HOUSE PARENTS
HOUSE Parents needed for Davis-Stuart Group Homes. Requires the ability to live in the group home while on duty. Competi...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Jobs

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index