Ohio House Explosion Blamed on Pipe-Stealing Thieves

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Thieves stealing pipes to sell for scrap are being blamed for a natural-gas leak that blew up a vacant North Side house last week.

Fire crews were called at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday to 2362 Joyce Ave. and found the front and back walls of the house had been blown out.

The ensuing fire, fueled by the gas, burned the house to the ground and damaged homes on either side. The destroyed home was a vacant rental property.

No one was injured in the blast.

Explosions due to stolen pipes have been rare in the city, but firefighters have worried for years that the right combination of gas and an ignition source could prove deadly.

Copyright 2012 - The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio

McClatchy-Tribune News Service