Reports that a gas leak in the townhouse-style units, combined with someone lighting a cigarette, caused the explosion could not be confirmed by Shane Cartmill of the State Fire Marshal. He said no cause has been determined at this point.
Cartmill said investigators are looking into reports that there were gas leaks previously at the apartment building.
“We are still investigating all avenues,” Cartmill said.
Investigators have additional interviews to complete and also need to speak with the adult who remains hospitalized about what happened in their unit, Cartmill said.
As the sun lifted above the charred remains of the building this morning, maintenance men were measuring to put a fence around the structure.
Onlookers looked in amazement at the blown-up apartments.
“I can’t believe no one was killed,” said John Jones, a Lebanon resident.
Residents nearby described the sound like a bomb going off and small parts of the brick building could be found 30 feet away.
Ron Wright, who lives a block and a half away, said he felt the explosion and rushed to the scene minutes later. He found Erica Vencill and her 13-year-old daughter, Rachel Vencill, on the ground outside the building.
“The impact was massive,” said Wright, a former volunteer firefighter in Beavercreek.
The explosion blew out both sides of the two-story building, which included 10 apartments. The building is nearly gutted from the flames, which could be seen from Monroe.
Ten units in the nearby apartment building also were damaged. Residents at the scene said they believed everyone in the buildings escaped.
There are no fatalities, according to Lebanon Fire Capt. Stephen Oughterson. Three children and two adults were treated and released from Bethesda North.
Erica Vencill was in fair condition at Miami Valley Hospital, but employees there would not release the condition for Rachel Vencill because of her age. Both were expected to be admitted over night.
One woman told Wright she was lighting a cigarette in her apartment, and the next she knew, she was lifting herself up in the parking lot in front of the building.
Amber Lewis, who lives next to the apartment where the fire started, said her wall exploded and ceiling collapsed after the explosion. Lewis, a student at Miami University Middletown, was able to escape with her 10-year-old son.
“All I have is the clothes on my back,” Lewis said.
Several residents comforted her son and gave him a blanket and a sweatshirt.
Lewis said she had never had any trouble in her apartment besides a leaky toilet. She said an inspector came in earlier Tuesday to check her smoke alarm.
Residents surrounded the apartment complex wrapped in blankets and heavy winter clothing.
“I can’t believe it. I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Judy Hall, a resident across the street.
Danny Miller said he heard something fall off his wall and then the explosion rocked his apartment.
“There was a wall of flames when I got out,” said Miller, who found his dog that had escaped his apartment.
Smoke alarms were present and did activate, Cartmill said.
Two ladder trucks were still on the scene around 12:10 a.m. spraying the apartment building with water, particularly on the upper floors. Crews from every fire department in Warren County responded. More than 70 firefighters were on the scene.
The block near the fire is surrounded by other apartment complexes.
The apartment complex is valued at $1.4 million, according to county tax records. It is owned by Richard Booth, who bought the property for $813,000 in 1994, according to county records.
The American Red Cross was assisting 12 of the building’s residents with hotel shelter Tuesday night and said a counselor would aid them in finding shelter Wednesday, according to Red Cross worker Ron Hakes.
Some of the residents were offered shelter at the Knights Inn in Lebanon.
Rich Gillette and Tiffany Y. Latta contributed to this report.
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