Cause Of House Explosion Still A Mystery

An explosion leveled a house in Scioto Township near Orient in Pickaway County Thursday afternoon.

The homeowner walked away from the scene uninjured.

"And it was like, where'd the house go?" said homeowner Mike Terry.

It's now scattered in pieces.  The log walls are split and thrown, stripped nails dangle out of tossed two by fours. A ceiling fan is now stuck in the ground.

"I thought there's been a bomb go off," said Terry.
                                                                                                       
He was working on his car in the barn when the explosion happened.

"I thought the barn was collapsing until I stepped outside. Then I noticed the house was gone," said Terry.

He stared dumbfounded. The three bedroom log cabin was his home for more than nine years.

"One minute the house was there, the next minute the house was gone," he said.
                                                                                                                                                                         
"It was unbelievable what I felt. I thought maybe a plane had crashed or something," said neighbor Greg Maycock.  

Maycock says his house shook. He ran out, looked across the street and was stunned.

"I was just shocked to see there was nothing left of his house," said Maycock.

What happened is still a mystery. Dogs sniffed the rubble for clues and a state fire marshal joined investigators to dig through the remains.

"The strange thing about it, I did not smell any gas. There was no flame. No smoke whatsoever," said Maycock.

There's no public utility in the area.  Each home has its own propane tank. Terry's is still in tact. As night set in, investigators called it quits for the day. Terry was left wondering what to do.

"No idea right now," said Terry.

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