The investigation into the cause of a massive explosion last month that obliterated one home and severely damaged at least seven others in Calhoun, Ga., is on hold until June, officials said.
“A number of insurance companies have asked to have representatives be part of the investigation,” said Glenn Allen, spokesman for state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine. “When you’re dealing with numerous companies, you can sometimes see delays.”
Mr. Allen said the investigation delay doesn’t mean home repair or replacement delays for residents.
The April 16 blast vaporized one home in the Saddlebrook neighborhood and damaged seven others so badly they’ll have to be torn down, officials said. Scores of other homes in the area – some as far as half a mile away – had windows broken and other damage.
Officials have said a natural gas leak may have caused the blast.
Calhoun Deputy Fire Chief Terry Mills said fire investigators have put a chainlink fence around what’s left of the home of Bryan McDaniel, 41, at 101 Saddle Mountain Drive.
“We’ve covered the yard with tarps, and it’s guarded by off-duty police 24 hours a day,” Chief Mills said. “But the investigation cannot continue until everybody can be there.”
Mr. McDaniel, his wife and daughter were not home when the blast occurred just before 4 p.m., and no residents in the surrounding neighborhoods were injured seriously, officials said.
Chief Mills said investigators sought the help of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after arson dogs detected fire accelerants in the week after the explosion.
What the dogs found could have been from lawnmower gasoline cans, he said. But to leave no stone unturned, ATF explosives-sniffing dogs were brought to the scene several days later.
“They didn’t alert on anything out of the ordinary; maybe a box of (gun) shells,” the chief said. “I don’t think (ATF) will be back. I think the state ruled that out.”
If the investigation eventually finds evidence of something problematic, it will become the legal focus of insurance companies seeking reimbursement, Mr. Allen said.
Chief Mills said a thorough investigation also is important for the safety of firefighters and residents in other homes.
“Nobody who has looked at this has ever seen anything like this before,” he said. “We’re treading on new ground here. It has made us back up and take some precautions we were not used to taking, and we’re hoping we’ll all learn something from it.”
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