June 25--YARMOUTH -- A man was killed in an early-morning blast at his Yarmouth condominium, authorities said Tuesday.
Police and fire officials said a man was killed when his home at 50 Gables Drive was leveled by an explosion about 6:17 a.m. They would not confirm his name, although neighbors identified the man as Peter Corey, 66. They described him as severely disabled and living alone, although his family brought him food daily.
Ten other units in the cul de sac of 14 duplex-style units off of North Road were damaged.
Sgt. Ken Grimes of the state Fire Marshal's Office said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon that the Fire Marshal's Office has no details on what happened or what caused the explosion. "We do know that there is propane that supplies the units on scene," he said.
The Fire Marshal's Office sent an investigator up in a Maine Forest Service helipcopter to survey the extent of the damange from the air.
"Everybody is stunned," said Steve Woods, chair of the Yarmouth Town Council, who surveyed the damage and talked to neighbors.
"This is something that will take a while for Yarmouth to move on from."
Town Manager Nat Tupper said authorities suspect propane was the fuel for the blast. Yarmouth does not have natural gas service.
A Maingas truck was on the scene after the explosion and a company employee referred comments to Mark Wienberg, a vice president of Suburban Propane, the parent company of Maingas.
Jeff Martin of Foreside Real Estate Management, which manages the complex, said Maingas is responsible for filling shared propane tanks connected to the homes. Maingas does not, however, deal with problems or equipment inside the homes, Martin said.
Residents choose their own provider to service equipment inside the homes.
"We know the authorities will be doing a full investigation and we intend to fully support and assist them in this investigation," Wienberg said, declining to comment further. "We're still researching all of this."
Each propane tank in the cul de sac feeds into six units. The tank that fed into the building that exploded was located four units away from the condo that exploded. Martin said he thought any leaking gas must have been inside the condo.
Martin said appliances inside the units that use propane are the stoves, water heaters and in some cases, fireplaces. He was not sure if the units where the explosion occurred had fireplaces. Given that the previous night was warm, he doubted that anyone was using their fireplace.
Other than Corey, one resident and one firefighter received minor injuries. One woman, who was sitting up on a gurney, was seen being taken to a waiting Freeport ambulance.
Power had been cut off to much of the town Tuesday morning, but has been restored.
Propane is heavier than air, so a leak of the gas could cause a dangerous accumulation in low spots inside enclosed spaces. A propane explosion in February on Bluff Road in Bath killed a 64-year-old woman.
While authorities determine the cause and source of the explosion, witnesses and neighbors said the blast was felt far from the epicenter.
People on Peaks Island reported feeling the blast. It shattered windows at the North Road Fire Station about a half-mile away.
"Our entire house just shook," said Judith Willette, who lives a half-mile away. "I guess I was thinking it was like a sonic boom. I screamed up to my husband, who was in the shower."
Brad Dunton was visiting from Florida and said the explosion rattled everything inside the house. "All the interior doors that were closed shook open, molding came off of the door."
"It was a massive explosion," said David Clough, who lives on East Main Street. "It sounded like a humungous M80."
"The blast wave came up over the trees so the house, lawn and the roof were just covered with insulation," Clough said. "There was an acrid smell in the air but not much smoke. Probably about a minute after the blast all this insulation started falling from the sky."
The blast sent insulation flying into the air. Twenty minutes afterward, it still looked like it was snowing, said Police Chief Michael Morrill.
Police said despite the intense explosion, there was no fire.
"It woke me right up. I figured it was a lightning bolt or something. It almost knocked me out of my bed," said Jordan O'Brien, a teenager who lives a mile and a half away.
Charlotte Agell said her parents live in the unit across the cul de sac from the one that exploded. They were uninjured but in shock and had been taken to the nearby North Road Fire Station, along with others who were evacuated from the complex. She said her mother was in bed when the explosion happened, damaging their unit.
"A painting fell on her head, but she is OK." said Agell, who was taking care of her parent's springer spaniel, Hugo.
Donald Verger heard the explosion at his home on Route 88 in Falmouth.
"I heard what sounded like a concussive sound. It sounded somewhat similar to what I experienced at the Boston Marathon," said Verger, who said he was near the finish line when the terrorist bombs exploded on April 15.
Yarmouth residents vote today. Because the usual polling place is close to the location of the explosion, voting has been moved to Town Hall, according to Town Manager Nat Tupper.
Ambulances and fire trucks from Yarmouth, Freeport and other surrounding towns responded to the scene and blocked the street, which is across from the playground on North Road.
Staff writer Tux Turkel contributed to this report.
Copyright 2013 - Portland Press Herald, Maine
