A combination of a power outage and a gas leak sparked the fire that destroyed a home in New Haven on Saturday.
An explosion and fire leveled the Santos family's home at 305 Howard Avenue.
Prior to the fire, there was a a power outage due to a downed wire. When crews fixed the wire and re-engergized the system, a furnace ignited gas that had built up in the home, according to New Haven Fire Chief Michael Grant.
There is nothing left of the house at 305 Howard Avenue, but all five members of the family were able to make it out safely before the house collapsed.
Neighbors were awakened by what sounded like a huge explosion that shook the neighborhood and Walter Bailey recorded it on his cell phone.
“There was this loud boom. I looked out the window. I ran into my grandson’s room, looked out the window and noticed this house on fire,” Bailey said. “The house was not only consumed, it had collapsed on itself. … All the neighbors came out and we were just mainly concerned about the people who live here.”
The Santos family smelled the gas and got out before the explosion and fire, according to neighbors.
“They said they smelled something and that’s when they all got out, and once they got to the backyard, that’s when the house exploded,” Rosa Ortiz said. “They all managed to escape through the back.”
The family watched as their house burned to the ground and firefighters put out the fire. Neighbors said they are happy to be alive, but devastated over losing everything.
"I think it was an act of God that stepped in in this situation. How that family realized that their house was burning, it was about to implode, it was an act of God that caused them to get up and get out,” Bailey said.
The fire damaged the two houses next door to the Santos home.
“It was something I’ve never seen, something out of a movie,” Bailey said. “When it first happened, there were a lot of screams, a lot of crying.”
“That was the worst night ever for anybody, any parent. It happened so quick, it was sad. I’m just happy everyone’s out,” Ortiz said.
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The building inspector said those two homes can be salvaged.
