Blast is traced to the basement of collapsed home
OFM determines explosion was near an area where appliances and utilities were located
An explosion that levelled a Gibson Avenue home happened in the west end of the basement where the utilities and appliances were located, investigators from the Ontario fire marshal’s office have determined.
Now the team is working to verify exactly what caused the natural gas blast that trapped the 76-year-old homeowner and his service dog in the rubble Tuesday afternoon.
OFM investigator Christiaan ter Stege said the team wrapped up their work on scene and vacated it for cleanup Thursday afternoon.
An OFM engineer and a member of the Technical Standards and Safety Authority will now analyze their findings, including photos and measurements, alongside samples sent to a lab.
“Then they’re going to produce an engineering report to basically explain everything in detail about how it happened and why it happened,” ter Stege said.
Murdoch Campbell, better known as “Murdie,” was rescued by specially trained firefighters from the basement of his collapsed home. Campbell has since been charged with arson.
Gas was turned off in the neighbourhood, affecting almost 300 homes between Sherman and Birch avenues, and from Princess to Cannon streets. On Thursday morning, gas had been restored to most homes.
Campbell, who is blind and hard of hearing, remains in hospital. His service dog, a black lab named Flannel, was rescued by ter Stege.
Campbell had lived in the house for many years with his wife, Grace, who died in August after a long battle with a liver disorder.
Once Campbell is medically cleared, he will be held for a bail hearing in Hamilton court, police said.
Staff Sgt. Emidio Evangelista said the case is a “delicate matter,” but police were compelled to lay the charge given the danger of the explosion. It levelled the home, with remnants blowing across the road and a part of the collapsed structure damaging a house next door.
Police were able to quickly lay the arson charge based on information provided from firefighters and after searching the wreckage.
The OFM spent Thursday morning reconstructing what the basement used to look like, ter Stege said. An insurance company is expected to step in for cleanup.
When the explosion happened, 911 calls set in motion a specific response for a structure collapse. Fire department spokesperson Claudio Mostacci said firefighters called “confined space specialists” found the man in the rubble.
These crews receive additional training — just like a rope rescue or HAZMAT team would — on rescues involving confined spaces, whether that’s in a tank or another area with limited room. They also use different equipment, such as helmets with lights on top so they can see in the dark and lighter clothing to move more easily, Mostacci said.
Once it was clear they were dealing with a collapse, the fire department called the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC), which monitors major emergencies and helps deploy the government’s response during a crisis, said Ministry of Community Safety and Correction Services spokesperson Brent Ross.
On Tuesday, PEOC called in the Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR) team, which is run out of Toronto Fire Services and equipped to deal with large-scale disasters. However, Hamilton firefighters rescued Campbell before HUSAR arrived.
Ross said PEOC has responded to 65 significant emergencies so far this year.
Once Campbell was rescued, he was transferred to advanced care paramedics, who treated him and took him to Hamilton General Hospital.
Hamilton has 61 advanced care paramedics who receive an additional year’s training beyond regular paramedics and complete 400 hours work to become certified, said Hamilton Paramedic Service Deputy Chief Russ Crocker.
These paramedics have skills that are vital for “crush and blast injuries” — including the ability to intubate, administer morphine and electrolyte-stabilizing medication.
noreilly@thespec.com 905-526-3199 | @NicoleatTheSpec With files from Natalie Paddon