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Investigators reveal cause of Sunday night home explosion in Edgewood

Edgewood Explosion 1
Posted at 2:09 PM, Oct 13, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-13 14:09:13-04

EDGEWOOD, Md. — Investigators have revealed the cause of a Sunday night home explosion in Edgewood.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office says the homeowner, 67-year-old Delbert L. Markley Jr., lit a candle after improperly disconnecting a gas stove.

That caused the home to fill with natural gas.

Markley reportedly told investigators the stove needed to be unplugged, because a new gas range was supposed to be delivered the next day.

RELATED: Edgewood home explosion leaves one person critically injured

The initial burst of flames and force of the blast left Markley with second and third degree burns and other traumatic injuries.

Despite that, he was able to escape the home at which point medics were able to get him to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Burn Center, where he remains in critical but stable condition.

At the time of the blast, two dogs were inside the home. One miraculously emerged from the rubble the next morning as investigators were on scene assessing the damage. The other had to unfortunately be euthanized early Wednesday from injuries suffered in the explosion.

Two other nearby homes were also damaged from remnants of the explosion. We're told at least one of those families was displaced.