WAYNE COUNTY, Pa. — A home in Wayne County was reduced to rubble early Sunday morning.
The home along Tiffany Road in Paupack Township near Hawley looked like a ball of fire after an explosion.
Firefighters say the 59-year-old woman who lives here was able to get out in time. Neighbor Jerome Plaza rushed to carry her farther away.
"When we found her, she was actually crawling her way over. We were like right over there, saw her, put her out and carried her into the woods," Plaza said.
Firefighters said the woman who lived here just bought the home.
She was flown to Lehigh Valley Burn Center with burns on her face, legs, and hands.
Fire officials tell Newswatch 16 the explosion could be heard from 15 miles away.
"It was just like, did something hit the house? Was there just an earthquake? Did a sinkhole happen? Did something blow up like a transformer? In this case, it apparently was a house," Plaza said.
Firefighters said this was one powerful explosion. Parts of the roof were blown into the trees, and a door was blown all the way to the front of the property.
"The windows started to rattle. Doors were rattling. It was pretty scary," neighbor Tom Conroy said.
A state police fire marshal said the explosion happened in the basement. It's believed there was a fault in the fuel delivery system, which caused gas to build up, and eventually, the propane ignited.
A pet bird died, but neighbors are relieved the woman made it out safely.
"Totally amazing. Act of God for sure. This is something else," Conroy said.
Several windows in surrounding homes were also damaged after this blast near Hawley.
A Go-Fund-Me was started to help raise money for the woman.