Centreville Home Explosion: Officials warn 100 more families may be asked to evacuate

Centreville Explosion: Evacuation zone could grow by 100 homes

Frustration is mounting in a Fairfax County neighborhood as crews continue searching for the source of a major gas leak days after a house explosion, and officials now warn that up to 100 more families may be asked to evacuate.

CENTREVILLE, Va. - Frustration is mounting in a Fairfax County neighborhood as crews continue searching for the source of a major gas leak days after a house explosion, and officials now warn that up to 100 more families may be asked to evacuate.

FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick reports that some residents could be out of their homes until Friday, depending on what crews uncover as they dig through the utility corridor. Neighbors also learned Tuesday that the repair danger zone may need to expand.

READ MORE: Officials continue to search for source of gas leak that led to Centreville home explosion

Gas contractors have been working around the clock since Sunday night’s catastrophic house explosion, but they still haven’t pinpointed the leak. If it’s tied to a smaller service line, repairs could be straightforward. But if the problem is in one of the large transmission pipelines that cut through the neighborhood, the fix becomes far more complicated.

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

What we know:

NTSB investigators are now on scene, Alnwick says. At two community town halls, it was clear patience is wearing thin. Many residents remain shaken by the thought that the massive underground leak could have ignited beneath any of their homes, not just the one on Quail Pond Court that exploded Sunday.

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

Fairfax County fire officials say they still don’t know what caused the gas to ignite. As a precaution, 46 homes remain under evacuation orders, and gas service has been shut off to 82 others during the ongoing work.

If the evacuation zone must expand, officials say it could encompass roughly 100 homes and residents would receive about four hours notice.