CHARLOTTE -- The Charlotte family whose home exploded Thursday night, apparently from a natural gas leak, had been waiting for Piedmont Natural Gas to turn on gas to the house, resident Sylvia Coleman said Friday.
Coleman lived in the house with her son, Sylmyles Coleman, 25; his fiancee, Courtney Chambers, 21; and their daughter, 4-month-old Synora Coleman.
The baby was killed in the blast. Both adults sustained serious injuries. Coleman was taken to the N.C. Jaycee Burn Center in Chapel Hill. Chambers is being treated at Carolinas Medical Center. Their conditions weren't available Friday morning. Sylvia Coleman says her son suffered second- and third-degree burns.
The family moved into the north Charlotte house about a week ago, paid their deposit and had been living without hot water while waiting for the gas to be turned on, she said.
On Thursday afternoon, she said she noticed a utility truck outside, but wasn't sure it was the gas company. Later in the afternoon, before she left for work around 4 p.m., she smelled gas, both inside and outside the house.
Other neighbors smelled gas, too. Charlotte firefighters said a neighbor had reported a strong odor in late afternoon, but Piedmont crews left after checking with meters and failing to detect gas.
About 7:45 p.m., the home exploded, hurling bricks and insulation across Wellingford Street and shattered windows of nearby houses. The front door landed in a yard across the street.
