Officials: Gas leak caused Hempstead house explosion
Photo credit: Barry Sloan | Firefighters respond to the scene of a house collapse in Hempstead. (Feb. 27, 2013)
Videos
Blast levels house
Galleries
House explosions on LI
A natural gas leak caused a vacant house in Hempstead Village to explode Wednesday, the Nassau County fire marshal's office said Thursday.
One major clue: A hot water heater valve was in the "on" position, indicating it was drawing gas, said James Hickman, division supervisor of investigations.
"We know that there was a pilot light on . . . which probably provided a source of ignition,"...
