A house explosion at 2331 Ferndown Ln. shook Keswick’s Glenmore neighborhood on August 19. One person was killed and another is recovering at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Evans-Haynes Burn Center.
The blast, caused by a suspected gas leak, leveled a large two-story home with a basement, and scattered debris—including insulation, bricks, and wood—across adjacent properties. Area residents more than half a mile away from the house reported feeling the explosion, which occurred around 6pm, and said it could be heard almost 10 miles away. The Red Cross is assisting displaced residents of 12 homes that sustained property damage.
The deceased, identified by the medical examiner’s office as Justine M. Joscelyne, 76, was checking on the home at the time of the explosion. Prior to the blast, she reportedly asked the other victim for help identifying the source of a gas smell…