A Nelson Avenue home was destroyed on Friday, Jan. 24 due to an explosion and fire caused by a natural gas leak in the street.

When the owners arrived home Friday evening they noticed a strong odor of gas in front of their house. Upon entering the home, they found it too smelled like gas. After a quick investigation inside the home, the couple called KeySpan and decided to wait outside. This decision saved them from being seriously injured as an unknown source triggered an explosion and fire just as the couple stepped off their front porch. The force of the explosion knocked them both to the ground. They both suffered slight injuries and were treated at North Shore Hospital in Plainview and released.

Following the explosion, an 11:27 p.m. 911 call alerted Hicksville firefighters. Upon arrival, firefighters were not aware of the leaking gas. When they made their way into the basement, the hose crew saw the telltale blue flame, which indicates gas, burning inside the house and immediately evacuated the home.

At the same time, chiefs noticed extensive structural damage on the outside of the home; the walls were separated and the roof was pushed up. The evacuation signal was sounded and the immediate area was cleared. As a precaution, all homes on the block were evacuated.

Under the direction of Chief Patrick McGeough, 11 trucks and 125 firefighters responded to the alarm. Following the explosion, fire fighters were forced to wait nearly an hour for a gas crew from Post Jefferson to respond. Once the gas was shut down, firefighters again entered the home and extinguished the remaining fire. Firefighters remained on the scene until 4 a.m. During this time, fire units from several local departments provided stand-by assistance at Hicksville's fire headquarters and the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management provided assistance to the homeowners.

KeySpan Energy officials sent investigators to determine the cause of the leak. As of press time, the cause of the leak was still under investigation.

Although the fire was contained, little could be done to save the home, which was over 100 years old and once served as a stable for a farm located there, or its contents. The force of last Friday's blast would have leveled a present day home.

In addition to severity of the leak, time is an important factor. Most of the time, this task is accomplished without incident. In this particular case, the leak was noticed too late.

In the event of a gas leak, Hicksville firefighters urge residents to leave the structure and call the fire department from another location. Do not touch any electrical switches or devices. The fire department will notify the utility company. Upon arrival, firefighters will vent the structure to prevent an explosive build-up of fumes.