BALTIMORE COUNTY, M.d. — After an explosion destroyed a home in Rosedale, investigators spent the day using heavy machinery to sort through the debris, searching for clues of where it all began.
WATCH: Fire investigators used specialized equipment to look for clues
The fiery incident literally shook neighbors out of their beds in the middle of the night, saying it sounded like a bomb went off.
Roamat Ikharia and her family live next door to the home that now no longer exists.
"The fire was coming towards my house, there was so much anxiety, I was screaming, I was crying like come on 9-1-1, come on I don't want my house to be burnt," she said.
Their home, appears to have been mostly unscathed.
Ikharia evacuated with her daughter and mother-in-law who is wheelchair bound. 14-year-old Kelsie Lainer who lives a few doors down was still awake when she heard a big boom and alerted her family.
"I was panicked. I was really scared, I didn't know what was going on I was like— Wait what do we do? Is anybody in the house? What about the next door neighbors?" Lainer said.
Baltimore County Fire Chief Joseph Dixon Sr. says it was first reported as a fire around 2 a.m. Tuesday morning and escalated while they were on their way to the scene.
The explosion was so large it sent charred bits of insulation across Callo Lane, where the house was located.
Fire officials say no one was inside the home at the time, believing the couple who lives there to be on vacation. On Tuesday, investigators were able to get in touch with the family.
"At least no life is going to be lost. That anxiety came down," Ikharia said.
"I hope they get on their feet," neighbor Paul Casthena said.
Besides the now-leveled home, only one other neighboring house sustained exterior damage, not believed to be structural. Neighbors tell WMAR-2 News the owner is in assisted living and does not live in the house currently.
"My thoughts are that it's very unfortunate, but my thoughts are also that the fast actions of our crews helped mitigate it," Chief Dixon said.
Dixon also said Monday night's rains also helped.
Baltimore County Fire is now leading the investigation into the cause, assisted by the ATF and Baltimore County Police Department's Fire & Explosion Investigation Team.
BGE also responded to the scene to assist, turning off the gas and electric service to the one home affected.
Neighbors are also now taking the moment to reflect on what they have, when it can all be taken away in an instant.
"You go through life and you do take things for granted and it does make you stop and think,"Casthena said.
Some concerns linger, like if there are any toxins that have been released into the surrounding area.
"You could be breathing something in and you don't know it," Casthena added.
It's unclear how long investigators will be in the area, but fire officials have asked for patience as they work to learn more.
