One person injured in home explosion, neighborhood homes damaged

OSCEOLA, AR (KAIT) - The Osceola Police and Fire Departments investigated a house explosion that injured one woman and caused damage to multiple homes in the area.

Police told Region 8 News the explosion at 117 Mockingbird Lane was caused by a gas leak. SourceGas, a natural gas utility company, said in a news release they were notified about the explosion just after 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Police said Debbie Porter lit a cigarette just before her home exploded. She was taken to a hospital in Memphis, TN. She was listed in fair condition at the hospital.

"It was really scary, yeah it was devastating when I got out there," said Ramona Ring, who lives two doors down from Porter.

The Ring family said the sound of the explosion woke them up and they immediately thought it was an earthquake. Ring sent her husband outside, where he found part of a roof in the middle of the road.

"Back of the house, you could see where the natural gas pipe had broke and it was shooting about 50 foot up in the air," Ring said.

The home is now a pile of debris.

Osceola Police Chief David Gladden said the investigation is ongoing and they are asking for assistance from Arkansas State Police.

"I'm just glad she got out all right," Ring said.