Howard County emergency responders evacuated a Columbia shopping center about 30 minutes before a gas explosion destroy part of the Lakeside Office complex Sunday morning. There were no injuries.
“The building is probably totaled,” Howard County Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief Stephen Hardesty said.
The explosion occurred at just before 8 a.m. in the business area of 8800 block of Stanford Blvd. Officials said the explosion caused a widespread power outage to the Stanford Boulevard and McGaw Road area. Stanford Boulevard was closed to motorists at McGaw Road.
Hardesty said that the explosion was one of the worse he has seen in recent memory. The other was a townhouse that was destroyed two years ago in Western Columbia.
“The time of day played a factor,” Hardesty said of Sunday’s explosion. “None of the businesses were open.”
Sydanie Patterson, a Columbia resident who lives a mile and a half away from the shopping center, said she was awaken by a loud “boom” this morning.
“My neighbors heard it too,” she said. “Honestly I thought it was an accident. It shook the house. I knew it wasn’t an earthquake because an earthquake doesn’t bang. I knew it was major.”
The majority of the storefronts in the shopping center were destroyed. The tan brick, beige mortar and forest green awnings and roofs, were shredded and crumbled in the parking lot.
“It was so powerful it could be heard in communities many miles away,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said in a statement. “I am appreciative for the quick and professional response by crews from the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services and the Howard County Police Department.”
Firefighters were dispatched to the shopping center for a fire alarm triggered at one of the businesses. Then they found the 10 to 15 foot crater in the parking lot located about 10 feet from the business facades on the Stanford Boulevard entrance.
Ball said firefighters responded “multiple reports” of hissing sounds coming from a large crack in the parking lot around 7:30 a.m. — about a half hour before the explosion.
The gas from that crater seeped into the building causing the explosion—although businesses on both sides of the complex suffered significant damage. By that time fire and rescue personnel had created a safety perimeter where nearby residents had been moved.
Rescue crew members had just completed an air monitoring test to make sure everyone was out of the range of the gas, Hardesty explained.
“All the glass and debris blew out from in front of the building,” Hardesty said. “There was a large pressure wave."
It took about an hour to extinguish any debris that was on fire, according to Hardesty.
Authorities could not provide a timeline when they expect to allow people back into the businesses damaged by the explosion.
“I have mobilized our team from the Howard County Economic Development Authority to assist those businesses and workers who may find themselves displaced by this event," Ball’s statement continued. “We will do everything possible to minimize the impact of this explosion those who are affected by it.”
A man who did not wish to be identified asked police officers if he could retrieve his black Corvette that remained in the parking lot from the night before.
“My car is right there!” he exclaimed as he pointed to the car, which appeared to be unharmed although it was surrounded by debris and broken glass. He was informed that it would be a while before he could retrieve his vehicle.
Angelina White thought explosion was actually the sound of her dog falling down the stairs.
“The whole house shook,” said he Columbia resident who lives within a mile of the explosion. “We thought that something in the house fell."
With the uncertainty came anxiety.
“There was a lot of shaking and a lot of nervousness,” she said. “You don’t expect to wake up and have your house shake."
BGE spokesman Richard Yost said crews were working alongside Howard County officials to investigate the cause of the explosion.
“While our crew member was on site, an explosion occurred,” Yost wrote in a statement. “BGE crews have turned off gas service and are currently working closely with the fire department. Once it is safe to do so, BGE will investigate the cause of the incident.”
The shopping center is located next to an Extended Stay America, the Howard County Government and Health Department, and less than a mile away from Wegmans.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
———
©2019 The Baltimore Sun
Visit The Baltimore Sun at www.baltimoresun.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
