West Conshohocken, PA Natural Gas Explosion, Jan 1971

BLAST, FIRE LEVELS 24 HOMES; FIREMAN KILLED.

49 ARE INJURED IN BLAZE NEAR PHILADELPHIA.

FIREMEN HAMPERED BY 40-MPH WINDS; BLAME LEAKING GAS FOR BLAST.

Philadelphia (AP) -- Balls of flames sparked by violent explosions believed set off by leaking gas bounced back and forth across a residential street Wednesday night and destroyed nearly two dozen homes in suburban West Conshohocken.
A young volunteer fireman was killed and 49 persons were injured, 15 seriously, as a 50-foot wall of flame turned the freezing night into a scorching red scene that was visible 10 miles away.
Nearly 250 volunteers from 18 fire companies fought the blaze that cut off electrical power to the Schuylkill River community of 2,300 for more than 90 minutes.
John Collins, chief engineer for the West Conshohocken Fire Co., said leaking gas caused the blast.
The Philadelphia Electric Co., which supplies the gas in the area, said it was investigating and declined other comment.
Police Chief Donald Beacraft of Upper Merion, who coordinated communications, said the fire was declared under control at 1 a.m., three hours after it started, when all gas valves were shut off.
The flames, which were fanned by winds that gusted to nearly 40 miles an hour, threatened a nearby lumber yard.
Most of the homes involved were reduced to rubble.
Robert Ganley, chief of the Bridgeport fire department, said explosions occurred as firemen battled the flames that engulfed the two and three story brick row homes.
One blast -- apparently from a gas main -- gouged a hole in the middle of the street, he said.
It could not be determined how many people occupied the destroyed homes.
Witnesses said at least two explosions preceeded the fire that created a 50-foot wall of flame along both sides of a half block area on Front Street along the Schuylkill River.
"I heard an explosion and then this big ball of flame rolled right across the street and the houses on that side started to go up like a torch," a witness said. "The whole place just went."
Ambulances from communities up to 10 miles away were dispatched to the area to take the injured to hospitals.
Philadelphia Gas & Electric Co. employes worked in manholes with wrenches to turn off gas valves to the area. Suddenly, the flames that had been leaping skyward, flickered and died out.
Most of the homes involved were reduced to rubble.

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