ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, July 18, 1996 TAG: 9607180066
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ALEXANDRIA
SOURCE: Associated Press
A natural-gas explosion leveled one row house and damaged at least one other in Old Town Alexandria on Wednesday, but no one was injured, authorities said.
Fire and police officials evacuated a three-block area after the explosion about 4:15 p.m. while fire investigators tried to determine what triggered the explosion.
``One home was completely destroyed. Dust and rubble is all that's left,'' Alexandria police spokeswoman Amy Bertsch said.
The explosion in a residential area at Green and South Columbus streets also damaged the unit next door and may have caused damage to other homes as debris flew more than 50 feet across the street.
No one was inside the home when it blew up, leaving broken bricks and window frames scattered on the lawn, fire officials on the scene said.
The destroyed home was the end unit in a row of small brick and clapboard town houses at the edge of the city's downtown shopping district.
Residents of other homes nearby told firefighters they smelled gas.
Washington Gas spokeswoman Sally Haynes said the company shut down gas flow to a three-block area.
The explosion also temporarily knocked out power to about 300 homes nearby.
City officials opened a shelter at a recreation center near the explosion site. Residents were to be kept from their homes for at least a couple of hours Wednesday evening while firefighters cleaned up, officials said.
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. A Washington Gas employee walks through debris afterby CNBa natural gas explosion Wednesday destroyed one row house and
damaged at least one other.