Ohio Fire Marshal: 3 dead after house explodes in Garfield Heights

GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio (WOIO) - 3 people were killed after a house exploded in Garfield Heights on June 11, Ohio State Fire Marshals confirmed.

Investigators found the bodies of two men and a woman among the remains of the decimated home, located in the 4900 block of E. 81st Street, according to a press release.

First responders initially got to the scene at 6:39 p.m. and saw the house destroyed, the release said.

Doorbell camera footage captured what was left of the house engulfed in flames after the explosion, leaving behind a series of smaller explosions.

The victims were found with the help of the East Technical Rescue Team, the release said.

State investigators, Garfield Heights Fire Department, Garfield Heights Police Department and Dominion Energy still are on the scene.

One man who came to look at the devastating sight of the home totally destroyed on Sunday had tears in his eyes as he told 19 News he had only lived in the house for a few days.

The man, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the three people killed were family and friends.

He said the two men who died lived in the home and the woman was simply dropping off dinner when the explosion happened.

Multiple sources say the gas company struggled to find the gas line because the gas had reportedly been shut off for two years.

Elizabeth Gadus, who lives several streets away, carried a single flower to mark the glaring spot where lives were taken in an instant.

“You can obviously see they had a life, they had a boat, a car and the faces of neighbors,” she said. “You could just see the fear and the sincere sadness of what happened here.”

Joe Doxey, who lives down the street, heard a boom, saw smoke, and ran to see what was going on.

“I’m very, very sad for those people that were in that house,” he said.  “It doesn’t make sense, I’m waiting to find out what happened.

“It went up so fast it was no way to help anybody,” he concluded.

The victims have not been identified by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner as investigators work to determine what caused the explosion.

This story is ongoing and will be updated as more details are released.

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