‘Fully engulfed in flames’: Investigation underway after Leicester home explodes

LEICESTER, N.C. (WLOS) — Neighbors near Moonrise Ridge in Leicester are reacting after a house explosion shook their homes in the early morning on Friday, March 13.

“I stepped outside and saw smoke and an orange glow from the neighbor’s house,” said neighbor Ryan Dailey. “By the time I got across the hill, the house was completely leveled and fully engulfed in flames.”

The Leicester Volunteer Fire Department responded after receiving a call about a possible house fire at a home off Gibbs Road, Fire Chief Gary Moore said.

“It was below freezing this morning,” Moore said. “And in our area, we have no fire hydrants, so we had to shuttle water in. It’s a narrow, one-lane road down to the house.”

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Authorities confirmed the home was destroyed. Dispatch calls were for a propane tank explosion, but Moore said the cause of the blast is still under investigation. Fire crews spent hours extinguishing hot spots while the Buncombe County fire marshal continues investigating.

Jeff Williams, a home restoration expert with an emergency response company, monitors fire dispatch notes that come through an app for licensed response firms. He said initial information indicated a propane tank explosion that ignited the home. He showed News 13 the note that went out.

“This one was actually a propane tank [that] exploded and burst in the home,” said Williams.

Williams said propane systems require routine inspections.

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Another neighbor, Josh Lockhart, uses propane to heat his home. He said he’s aware there can be risks, but he said there are checks and balances. Fire officials recommend having heating systems inspected regularly by a certified propane or gas company.

“We have monitors to let us know if there’s carbon monoxide or if it has a smell to it as well,” he said. “And I assume that if they were here, and I don’t want to make assumptions, if they were here, they probably would have smelled it, if there was a leak, because it does have a very noticeable smell.”

Lockhart said a retired couple owns the home.

“I feel horrible for them with the fact that they’re going to have to come home to this,” he said.

The investigation into the explosion remains ongoing.