Was it a gas leak?
A woman has died, after this house explosion on Saturday night in Whitesboro
WHITESBORO, ONEIDA CO. -- An elderly Whitesboro woman is dead after her home exploded on Saturday night.
Neighbors and people as far as five miles away heard the explosion at 24 Ablett Avenue around 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Ada Tarnowski lived in the home, and a body has been recovered from the wreckage. The home is about five miles outside of Utica.
Crews are now checking to see if a gas smell reported in the area just before the blast may be to blame. Investigators are also trying to figure out where it started. On Sunday, crews were securing a nearby home which suffered damage.
Whitesboro Assistant Fire Chief Duane Evans says it's difficult to determine what happened because there's little left of the house except widely scattered debris.
The state office of fire prevention and control is also helping with the investigation.
