Severed gas line sparks blaze
The Hamilton Spectator
(Apr 9, 2010)
Joe Trombino had been planning to move into a recently renovated home on Hamilton's Beach Boulevard as early as this summer.
But his plans were set back yesterday when a fire ripped through both floors of his 1,400-square-foot home, causing damage estimated at $150,000 to $200, 000.
At about 1 p.m., firefighters responded to a report from contractors working on the home of a house fire and possible gas leak.
District Chief Ross Brydges said firefighters determined there was a "well-involved" fire in the structure at the lower and upper levels.
"The contractors admitted they had been working on the home, but they don't know what caused the fire," he said.
John Verbeek, fire safety officer, said the fire was caused by a severed gas line that ignited.
Trombino, 34, said he understood workers hit a gas pipe while installing a beam under the house.
The two men were working outside in the back yard. They were unharmed and nobody was inside the house during the fire.
Gabe Desender, who lives next to the home, said the men ran over to him and asked for a wrench. They attempted to shut off the gas but couldn't, he said.
"I said: 'Get the hell out of here before the ... thing explodes!'"
Kyle McHugh, 21, who was working with Desender yesterday afternoon, said fire started coming out of the end of the pipe and spread throughout the house within five minutes. "The flames were pretty high," he said.
Brydges said firefighters worked from the outside because the building was not structurally stable enough to enter.
Trombino bought the house about a month ago and started renovations to put in drywall, install new siding and paint the building.
He had planned to move in after renovations were complete, Trombino said, but it's uncertain what he will do with the building now.
"We'll see as we go," he said.
dawong@thespec.com
905-526-2468
