Centreville explosion: Crews still working to pinpoint source of gas leak

Centreville explosion: Gas crews plan to purge line

A Fairfax County neighborhood remains an evacuation zone as crews work around the clock to repair a natural gas leak linked to a house explosion that rocked a Centreville community on Sunday.

CENTREVILLE, Va. - Utility crews are still trying to pinpoint the exact location of a gas leak in a Fairfax County neighborhood after a natural‑gas explosion rocked a Centreville community on Sunday.

At a Tuesday press conference, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Assistant Chief of Operations Eric Craven said crews are continuing to check multiple gas lines as the investigation moves forward.

Craven said 46 homes remain evacuated and 82 homes are without natural‑gas service. Fire crews are entering homes every hour to monitor gas concentrations, which he said are trending downward.

READ MORE: NTSB takes over Centreville gas leak investigation after 50+ families displaced

What we know:

Officials believe they have shut down nearly all gas service feeding the affected area. Washington Gas has multiple dig sites open as crews work to access and assess the lines.

Evacuated residents may return briefly to their homes with fire department escorts between noon and 9 p.m. Tuesday, Craven said, and all requests are being honored. Residents are expected to remain displaced for another 24 to 72 hours.

Depending on where the leak is ultimately found, the evacuation zone could expand to a quarter‑mile radius, affecting up to 100 additional homes. Residents would receive three to four hours notice if that becomes necessary.

Craven said displaced residents are staying with family, friends or in hotels, with reimbursement options available through insurance and utility companies.

About 100 residents met with county officials and utility representatives Tuesday afternoon for updates. A Tuesday night town hall is scheduled for additional information. The National Transportation Safety Board now has full investigative authority over the incident, Craven said.

READ MORE: Centreville explosion, fire forces families to evacuate from neighborhood

The backstory:

FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick, reporting from the scene Tuesday morning, said neighbors captured video of the blast at Quail Pond Court and Belle Plains Drive, showing flames and debris moments after the home exploded. Remarkably, the resident inside and a neighbor who pulled him out suffered only minor injuries.

SKYFOX drone video shows a wide grassy utility corridor running through the Sequoia Farms neighborhood, where natural‑gas transmission pipelines run underground.

The explosion happened just before 10 p.m. Sunday. Washington Gas was already in the neighborhood investigating reports of a gas odor at the time, Alnwick said.