UPDATED: Police Identify Resident Found in House After Explosion (VIDEOS)
UPDATED 4.20.17 3:30 p.m. Montgomery County police have identified the resident found in the Ashley Drive house following an explosion last Friday as 61-year-old Steven Beck.
According to a police news release, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has determined that Beck died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police said a dog found near Beck also died from a gunshot wound.
The cause of the explosion, which leveled the house and damaged several nearby houses, remains under investigation.
Update: Resident Identified as Victim in Rockville House Explosion Death Investigationhttps://t.co/sxajKmGySR
— Montgomery Co Police (@mcpnews) March 20, 2017
UPDATED 4.20.17 Montgomery County police officers are conducting a death investigation following the house explosion in Rockville on March 17th.
According to a police department news release, fire investigators located human remains in the basement of the home on March 18th.
Police said the body has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) in Baltimore where an autopsy will be conducted to determine the person’s identity and the cause of death.
The Police Department’s Major Crimes Division continues to work with Montgomery County Fire and Rescue personnel and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to determine what caused the explosion.
Anyone with information about the house explosion is asked to contact the Major Crimes Division at 240.773.5070.
Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer said there are two parallel investigations going on: the death investigation and the investigation into what caused the explosion and the fire. Piringer said investigators have removed several dumpsters of debris from the site. He said the fire department is also coordinating with the Randolph Hills Civic Association in order to organize a community meeting.
Update – Ashley Dr; on-site investigation complete; now PD death investigation; MCFRS fire/explosion cause & origin investigation continues pic.twitter.com/A3dkjLrldm
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) March 20, 2017
Rockville House Explosion Death Investigation: https://t.co/CmeGUqs2rb
— Montgomery Co Police (@mcpnews) March 18, 2017
Sunday a dozen or so volunteers from MCFRS Kensington FS705 returned to Ashley Dr ‘After-the-Fire’ & visited 75 homes checking smoke alarms pic.twitter.com/UDNKtJ4UHm
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) March 20, 2017
UPDATED 5 p.m. Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein held a news conference on March 17 to recap the investigation into the explosion that occurred overnight on Ashley Drive in Rockville. That explosion leveled one house and damaged ten other houses and nine vehicles. Goldstein said the occupant of the house where the explosion occurred remains unaccounted for.
According to Goldstein, investigators will be back at the scene on Saturday morning.
Goldstein reported that the gas to the house was turned off by Washington Gas in June of 2015. Since Dec. of 2016, Goldstein said there has been unauthorized gas use in the structure.
Find out more in this MyMCMedia Extra video, below:
Update – Ashley Dr, last known resident status still unknown, 10 homes & 9 vehicles damaged, 1 home unsafe to occupy & family displaced pic.twitter.com/rbG5j8o9SS
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) March 17, 2017
UPDATED 3 p.m. As investigators work the scene, residents are waiting to find out what caused an overnight blast that leveled a house, damaged 10 other houses and nine vehicles, and was felt by residents who lived more than one mile away.
Find out more in this MyMCMedia Extra video, below:
UPDATED 2:30 p.m. Montgomery County fire and rescue spokesperson Pete Piringer shares the latest information, below, about an overnight house explosion and fire in Rockville. He said the cause of the explosion remains undetermined.
UPDATED 1:34 p.m. Officials are planning to hold a 4 p.m. news conference to discuss the latest information in the investigation.
UPDATE – Ashley Dr explosion & fire, homes damaged…..Media Briefing w/ MCFRS Chief Goldstein & Reps from MD State FM, ATF & Wash Gas at 4p pic.twitter.com/XVfqxTS2bk
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) March 17, 2017
ORIGINAL A Rockville resident is unaccounted for after a house explosion and fire overnight in the Randolph Hills neighborhood in Rockville, according to a Montgomery County fire official.
Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer said the explosion happened shortly before 1 a.m. on Ashley Drive near Grayling Lane.
PHOTO | MCFRS
According to Piringer, when firefighters arrived at the scene the house was leveled and debris was scattered throughout the neighborhood. He said approximately a dozen nearby homes were damaged by the blast.
Piringer said firefighters extinguished the blaze within 20 minutes.
So what happened to cause the explosion?
Piringer said the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
Update – Ashley Dr, status of home’s occupant unknown, large debris field, many surrounding homes damaged, no injuries to neighbors or FFs pic.twitter.com/CCOivOSVXf
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) March 17, 2017
More…Ashley Dr, MCFRS Fire & Explosive Investigators on the scene, ~dozen nearby homes damaged, no injuries, 1 petson status unknown pic.twitter.com/aCLugI1Snq
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) March 17, 2017
(~1250a) 11400 Ashley Dr near Grayling La, Randolph Hills, explosion & fire, fire out, home completely leveled, nearby homes damaged, no inj pic.twitter.com/CHUYC0zblD
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) March 17, 2017
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