Gas leak leads to Glendale house explosion; four escape with minor injuries

GLENDALE, Mo. - A gas leak caused a house explosion Friday morning in Glendale. Officials say four people inside the house escaped with minor injuries.

The explosion happened at a home near Sappington Road and Glen Elm Drive around 9:30 a.m. Several fire departments responded. 

Kirkwood fire officials tell FOX 2 that a mother and three teenage children were inside the home at the time of the explosion. Investigators say all four escaped with only bumps and bruises. The four occupants were sent to a hospital as a precaution.

Investigators believe the explosion stemmed from a gas leak. Electicity and gas connections were shut off in the area as crews responded to the home.

Maddie Bert was on her way to work when she saw it across the street. 

“I had my hands on the wheel, and I looked in my rearview, and I saw it. I was just like, 'Oh my God,'" she said. 

Another nearby resident, Matt Berra, saw it through his window. The family ran to his yard after the explosion.

"Whole house was open. You could see it," he said. "Once the family was in my yard I tried to comfort them a little bit."

But Berra knew two members of the family were still missing. 

"We know that they have two labs over there. We didn't know where they were at. We didn't see them. They weren't coming out of the house," he said. 

He says he ran inside and helped get the dogs out through the backyard.

Flames were still visible around noon. Parts of the house had to be brought down. The house is a loss, but the tight-knit neighborhood could have lost so much more. 

"Something was on their side today in that we escaped with minor injuries. Just being the fire chief and realizing my crews were in route to a gas leak that exploded before they got here really makes me stop and think what could've happened here today. So, we got really lucky," Kirkwood and Glendale Fire Department Fire Chief Jim Silvernail said. 

Berra added that neighbors will work together to try and help the family replace everything that was lost. 

Spire sent the following statement in response: "This morning, we were contacted after a third-party contractor hit a gas line. We immediately responded to the situation to make the area gas-safe. We are cooperating with authorities on their investigation.”

To donate to the family's GoFundMe, click here.