Jonathan Bergmueller
Life flight transported a 46-year-old male in critical condition to the Lehigh Valley Burn Center, while a 48-year-old female was not injured by the blast that occurred outside the home on the 3500 block of Linn Street.
Officials have not yet determined the cause of the explosion, which resulted in a fire that yielded a two-alarm response from first responders. The cause is currently under active investigation by the state police fire marshal.
The explosion and fire both occurred in an enclosed outdoor patio the male used as a workshop, according to Jeffrey Tempesco, Hepburn Township Volunteer Fire Company.
Fire crews responded to a two-unit fire on Campbell Street late Friday afternoon.
Alyssa Strothers, a neighbor, said she called 911 after she came home and noticed medium-sized flames coming from 645 Campbell St.
“I was on the phone with 911 and within five seconds, the flames went up!” Strothers said.
City Fire Chief Mark Killian confirmed the building, deemed uninhabitable, houses two separate units.
Strothers said she believed the building housed three adults and two minors although she did not think anyone was home when the fire broke out.
The Lycoming County 911 Center described the fire as a two-alarm fire meaning it dispatched additional manpower and equipment to the scene.
The Montoursville WalMart was evacuated Monday afternoon due to the smell of a gas leak.
UGI Utilities found two gas lines ruptured on the roof of the WalMart, according to Chad Ludwig, assistant fire chief at the Montoursville Fire Department.
Ludwig said the fire department helped UGI Utilities gain access to the roof to address the problem, and was called out to the scene at around 3:40 p.m.
They left at around 4:17 p.m., however they were called back to aid with accessing the second gas leak, according to Ludwig.
The fire department left the scene at 5 p.m.
After it was confirmed there was no fire hazard, Ludwig said UGI turned off the gas until the lines were repaired, which caused the store to temporarily halt its operations.