House destroyed in explosion on Collegeview Road (Rochester)

[question everything]

A 50-year-old man escaped serious injury Tuesday morning when an explosion destroyed his rural Rochester home.

Shortly after 11 a.m., Olmsted County Sheriff’s deputies on routine patrol saw black smoke coming from the home at 6696 Collegeview Road E.

When deputies arrived, they found the man had escaped serous injury by jumping out of a window after an explosion rocked the home, according to Sgt. Kirby Long of Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office.

(snip)

The home was a 1.5-story, three-bedroom wood-frame house built in 1887, according to Olmsted County records. Richard Cassidy is listed as homeowner.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, according to the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office.

https://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/house-destroyed-in-explosion-on-collegeview-road/article_b69d2af0-bb63-11e8-8bbf-db2cba8a27f0.html

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I suspect natural gas. So our infrastructure is crumbling. This is news?

[dewsgirl]

1. This coupled with the explosions in Massachusetts last week are odd to say the least.

I have heard of this maybe a couple times in my life.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Meth lab?

My wood-frame house was built in 1885 and it isn't crumbling at all. A lot of old houses are structurally sound and not close to crumbling. If it was a gas leak it could have been caused by a variety of things - they'll figure it out soon enough.

[GatoGordo]

3. I doubt it

I live not far from where the house was, and it is in a nicer neighborhood. I suspect gas leak too.