Woman dead, man fighting for life after explosion ‘completely leveled’ Albemarle home

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A woman is dead and a man is fighting for his life after an explosion "completely leveled" an Albemarle County home on Tuesday.

At about 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 19, crews with Albemarle County Fire Rescue were called to the 2300 block of Ferndown Lane in the Glenmore neighborhood after receiving multiple reports of a home explosion.

When they arrived, crews found a home that had been "completely leveled to the ground."

A woman was found dead at the scene. A man was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. Neither individual has been identified by authorities as of the time of reporting.

The homeowners were not present at the time of the explosion.

An additional 12 neighboring homes were damaged by the explosion's impact and the resulting debris. All occupants of those homes were displaced and are being assisted by the Red Cross.

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As of about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, fire crews remain at the scene, investigating this explosion. The cause has yet to be determined, but fire officials said there is "no active gas leak at this time."

The public is asked to avoid the area until the scene has been cleared.

No further details are yet available.