Hole In Gas Pipeline Could Shed Light On Bel Air House Explosion

A damaged plastic gas pipeline may offer critical clues in the investigation of a devastating house explosion in Bel Air that killed a 73-year-old homeowner and a Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) contractor last summer.

The National Transportation Safety Board recently released preliminary findings on the August 11, 2024, explosion in the 2300 block of Arthurs Woods Drive. Investigators discovered a hole in the home’s plastic gas service line and damaged electrical cables during excavation at the scene.

According to the NTSB, BGE removed sections of the pipeline, including the portion where the gas leak originated. As the investigation continues, officials will examine BGE’s construction practices, how the utility responds to reports of gas odors, and the effectiveness of its pipeline safety management system.

One of the victims, 35-year-old Jose Rodriguez-Alvarado, was a BGE contractor working to restore power to the home of Ray Corkran Jr., 73, after an outage the previous evening. The explosion occurred while the contractors were on-site, killing both Rodriguez-Alvarado and Corkran. A second worker sustained injuries.

The blast condemned eight neighboring homes and damaged 78 properties, according to the NTSB.

Volunteer firefighters from Abingdon were responding to a reported gas leak at the time of the explosion. Just minutes before arriving, Fire Chief Chris Breslin heard a loud noise near the intersection of Singer Road and Route 24, which he initially mistook for a tire blowout. He saw smoke and debris as he approached the scene—a home explosion, the first in his four decades of service.

Breslin and his team fought the resulting fire, which was centered in the garage and believed to be fueled by gas, for nearly seven hours. He eventually handed off command to Joseph Woods, deputy director of Harford County’s Department of Emergency Services.

Other responding agencies included the Maryland State Police, the Maryland State Fire Marshal, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Following the explosion, a neighborhood survey uncovered three gas leaks, and high gas readings were later detected beneath the driveway of the destroyed home, according to the NTSB.

Records show two earlier reports of gas odors at the property — one in September 2021 and another in May 2024. BGE did not find any leaks during either visit. The last gas service and main leak inspections were completed in September and October 2023.

The NTSB will release a full analysis and determine the likely cause of the explosion once its investigation is complete.