An explosion at a cemetery in Luzerne County is under investigation.
Shared metal, broken glass and shredded timber are all that remain of a garage at Mountain View Cemetery near Harding.
State police investigators are trying to piece together what sparked the powerful blast which leveled the building Sunday night.
Gary Eble is the assistant fire chief for the Mount Zion Fire Department. He said in addition to the mess from the blast, fire crews had to battle flames as well.
"From talking to some of the other fire fighters we had a little bit of fire and an explosion. The cause is undetermined right now. It's up to the state police fire marshal to determine that and to try to find out what happened," Eble said.
Inside the shed were a dump truck, lawnmowers and propane tanks, all of which are being investigated for possibly contributing to the accident.
Debris from the explosion landed hundreds of feet away and neighbors who live by the cemetery in Exeter Township said they heard and felt the explosion from up to a mile away.
"It was just a massive explosion," said Kevin Tarity. He and his mother, Grace, both live near the blast site in Luzerne County. They said the sights and sounds were intense.
"The house shook. We came outside and looked around. We thought a house blew up. The neighbors came out and said that the building up at the cemetery blew up," said Grace Tarity.
"It was an explosion just before dark. It shook the windows," added Kevin Tarity.
"Yes, they heard it from very very far away. I had a phone call come in from several miles up the road saying that they felt the blast," Eble said.
Fire crews have not yet named the caused of the explosion. The cemetery does have insurance and it plans to rebuild the garage as soon as possible.
Shared metal, broken glass and shredded timber are all that remain of a garage at Mountain View Cemetery near Harding.
State police investigators are trying to piece together what sparked the powerful blast which leveled the building Sunday night.
Gary Eble is the assistant fire chief for the Mount Zion Fire Department. He said in addition to the mess from the blast, fire crews had to battle flames as well.
"From talking to some of the other fire fighters we had a little bit of fire and an explosion. The cause is undetermined right now. It's up to the state police fire marshal to determine that and to try to find out what happened," Eble said.
Inside the shed were a dump truck, lawnmowers and propane tanks, all of which are being investigated for possibly contributing to the accident.
Debris from the explosion landed hundreds of feet away and neighbors who live by the cemetery in Exeter Township said they heard and felt the explosion from up to a mile away.
"It was just a massive explosion," said Kevin Tarity. He and his mother, Grace, both live near the blast site in Luzerne County. They said the sights and sounds were intense.
"The house shook. We came outside and looked around. We thought a house blew up. The neighbors came out and said that the building up at the cemetery blew up," said Grace Tarity.
"It was an explosion just before dark. It shook the windows," added Kevin Tarity.
"Yes, they heard it from very very far away. I had a phone call come in from several miles up the road saying that they felt the blast," Eble said.
Fire crews have not yet named the caused of the explosion. The cemetery does have insurance and it plans to rebuild the garage as soon as possible.
