MADEIRA, Ohio -- An elderly man is dead after an explosion and fire at a Madeira home, police said.
According to Madeira Fire Chief Steve Ashbrock, the explosion occurred in a home on Sanoma Drive late Thursday morning, and, despite several rescue attempts, firefighters could not reach Orville Cullop, 85, inside the home. Ashbrock said Cullop was physically disabled and used an oxygen tank.
Ashbrock said it might have been the oxygen tank that caused the series of several explosions inside the home.
Neighbor Danny Pond said it only took a matter of minutes for the home to be engulfed in flames.
“I heard a loud boom, and my dog started going crazy,” he said. “I heard the sirens.”
Cullop was survived by his wife, whom crews were able to rescue and transport to Jewish Hospital.
Two construction workers nearby, accompanied by two Madeira police officers, made the initial rescue attempts, Ashbrock said.
“The two construction workers were injured,” he said. “they have minor burns to their hands.”
The structure is a total loss, according to a news release from Ashbrock. Authorities have not determined the cause of the fire.
