The town of Webb has declared a state of emergency as first responders deal with the wake of an explosion that demolished a home Friday afternoon on Hollywood Road in Old Forge.
The explosion, which leveled a house along First Lake, was called in at 2:40 p.m. Friday, according to Webb police. Two landscapers were cut and bruised while working at a home directly next to the blast, and one person was brought to the St. Elizabeth Campus of the Mohawk Valley Health System for treatment.
Officials from the state Office of Fire Prevention and Control are still investigating the cause of the explosion, but believe it likely involved propane, police said.
Webb Supervisor David Berkstresser declared a state of emergency for the town Saturday in order to inspect nearby homes and clear debris from the lake and surrounding areas.
Debris from the blast has blocked off Hollywood Road and some is still floating in First Lake, police said. Berkstresser said firefighters estimated the debris field has around a 20-acre radius, with pieces of lumber landing in trees and around 17 homes sustaining damage ranging from broken windows to structural issues.
"We need to take a pause so we can get all the town, county, and state agencies there to clean up," he said. "We can't even access some homes right now."
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