4 dead after home explosion in Ellsworth, Ohio Fire Marshal investigating

ELLSWORTH, Ohio (WKBN) — First News now knows four people are dead from a home explosion in Ellsworth on Saturday, according to the Ohio State Fire Marshal.

Dispatch and fire officials received calls around 7:15 a.m. for reports of an explosion in the 8000 block of Huxley Road in Ellsworth Township.

Ellsworth, Canfield, Jackson Township, Berlin Township, Lake Milton and Green Township fire departments responded. The Ohio Fire Marshal, Mahoning County Coroner, Sheriff’s Office, a STAT MedEvac and a cadaver dog were on scene.

“The initial call was for a reported structure fire. That call was then upgraded to explosion. Initial crews on scene reported that the house was completely gone,” said Ellsworth Assistant Fire Chief Jillian Smith. “It was a big scene we had. It was a lot of confusion. The search effort was confusing. So, having all that personnel was a benefit to us.”

Smith says the scene is secured and poses no threat but is under investigation by the State Fire Marshall. The number of occupants nor the extent of injuries have been released yet because of the investigation.

Debris from the explosion was spread about half a mile from the scene. The blast also damaged surrounding homes, with some shifted on their foundations, windows blown in, ceilings cracked and items knocked off shelves and cabinets.

Residents reported feeling a big boom and items rattling in their homes.

“We’re two and a half miles away up off Duck Creek Road, and I could feel it like it was right here on the property,” said Claudia Meredith. “I knew right away it wasn’t a gun. It was too loud, and it sounded just like a bomb.”

One neighbor, Sheila Gilmartin, couldn’t believe it was real. She said there was nothing left of the home.

“It was real foggy this morning. So, you really couldn’t see a lot. Then, we saw one neighbor get in his side-by-side with a fire extinguisher going up the road. When we got out to the road, we could see all the debris,” Gilmartin said. “You think you’re dreaming, You know, it’s like, ‘Okay am I dreaming? No.’ So, it’s pretty devastating.”

The Ohio Fire Marshal’s Office said there is no word yet on the cause of the explosion and that they are working with local authorities on the investigation.

First News will continue to update this story.

Kyle Wills, Hanna Erdmann and Andrew Peterson contributed to this report.

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