Families are returning home to a Centreville, Virginia, neighborhood less than two weeks after a gas leak caused a house to explode on Quail Pond Court.
Washington Gas released a statement Friday saying that gas service has been returned to the remaining 19 evacuated homes.
Along with those returning, there was someone new in the neighborhood, just moving in.
First grade teacher Jenna Jensen parked a U-Haul truck in the driveway of a house near where orange cones and a sign reading “Road Closed Ahead” blocked off entry to the street.
“I am actually moving into my new home on Buggy Whip Drive,” Jensen said. “I closed on the home on Friday, Feb. 13.”
Jensen told WTOP that she heard the news of the explosion from a phone call from a coworker.
“She shared with me the unfortunate circumstances that occurred around the corner from my new home,” Jensen said. “It was definitely a moment of shock.”
The house is so close to hers that Jensen can see it from her backyard.
“As much as you want your new home that you haven’t been in to be OK, you also want to make sure that everybody in the community is safe,” Jensen said.
The neighbor in the home that exploded was able to walk away with only minor injuries after escaping out of a window.
Jensen said while she has only met a few of her neighbors, she looks forward to when they can “turn that page and kind of get to know each other under better circumstances.”
Her parents, who had traveled five hours from the northern panhandle of West Virginia, headed inside to help with the move as Jensen spoke about her appreciation for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.
“They were very, very amazing and supportive at making sure that my home was safe, not once, not twice, but three times to check in with me,” Jensen said of county officials. “The communication has been amazing, and it’s been nice to have their support.”
Fairfax Fire officials will continue to monitor gas readings in the neighborhood for the next 48 hours.
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