House Explosion Injures 3 in McClain County

News9.com

BLANCHARD, Oklahoma -- Three people including an infant were injured when a McClain County house exploded at about 8 a.m. Sunday about one mile outside Blanchard.

The McClain County Sheriff's office said their preliminary investigation shows an "accidental gas leak" caused the house explosion that leveled a home located in the 2800 block of Meridian Avenue. Investigators are still trying to determine what the ignition source was.

Richard Hoff, 68, is the owner of the home. He is being treated at Integris Baptist Hospital and is currently in critical condition. Tanya Sumner, 25, was also injured in the explosion. Monday morning she was listed in serious condition at Integris Baptist Hospital. Sumner's 2-year-old daughter, Bella, was transported to a Dallas hospital in critical condition. A spokeswoman said Monday the hospital doesn't have parental consent to release the condition of Bella Sumner.

Debris was scattered throughout the property and hung from the trees near the home which is located in a rural area. Debris also landed across the street from the residence, where neighbor John Bell said he was awakened at the sound of the explosion.

Cindy and Pete Peters were in their backyard feeding their horses when they saw the house go up in flames.

"Immediately turned to the noise and saw a great big flame and smoke going up and then almost instantly went back down," said Cindy Peters. "Then I started thinking about the people inside and it was really, really hard."

Bell said he and the Peters' rushed to the home and helped pull the residents out from under the debris.

"I heard mom yelling and I heard a baby crying," Cindy Peters said.

Tanya Sumner and her daughter were in bed, and Richard Hoff was in the kitchen when the explosion happened.

"Drug the baby out first and then daughter…and then Richard was in the kitchen," Bell said.

"So we dug him out, we had to get the dishwasher off of him…they were just buried. It was terrible," Cindy Peters said.

Bell said Hoff had owned the house for about three years and has been fixing it up. He believed the house did have a gas leak.

Neighbors said as they were dragging Hoff from his house he mumbled the words "disconnected old stove."

Residents nearby called NEWS 9 to report a possible earthquake. The explosion was felt as far away as Norman.

Bell, whose windows blew out during the explosion, said the victims were badly burned.