Natural gas caused Concord Township explosion, homeowner plans to rebuild

CONCORD TOWNSHIP, Ohio - Investigators were on the scene Monday trying to determine the cause of an explosion that leveled a house and damaged at least 20 others in Concord Township Sunday.

The Concord Township Fire Department determined the explosion was caused by natural gas, but they do not yet know exactly how it started. That could take days or even weeks, as authorities wait for lab results to come in.

The first call about the explosion on Morley Road came in just after 8 a.m. Sunday, and the noise was heard and felt for miles.

All that remains of the 6,000 square foot structure are pieces of the roof, bricks and tile. Debris was scattered throughout the neighborhood, and some of it ended up in trees. Neighboring homes within a 1/2 mile radius also suffered damage.

The homeowners, Mike and Kathy Jelenic, and their three children were out of town when their home blew up. Mike told NewsChannel5 that he's thankful no one was hurt and he plans to rebuild.

Dozens of investigators are combing through debris on Monday, including representatives from the ATF, Ohio State Fire Marshal's office and the Concord Township Fire Department. More information about the blast are expected to be released Monday.

The Concord Township fire chief told NewsChannel5 that dogs trained to sniff explosives and accelerants were brought in to help with the the investigation. The ATF sent two teams to the scene: blast, cause and origin. Investigators are using heavy machinery to get access to the basement area -- the only part of the house that remains intact.

The fire chief said the home used geothermal heating.

Representatives from Dominion East Ohio Gas said they checked the lines going to and from the home and they were intact.

Fire departments from both Geauga and Lake Counties responded to the blast.

No one was hurt.