Sunday, November 20, 2011

House Explosion in Pointer Ridge, January, 1974

A house at 902 Placid Court in Bowie's Pointer Ridge section exploded around noon on Sunday, January 20, 1974. The house was destroyed, but all eight occupants miraculously survived. According to the Washington Post, three nearby homes suffered serious damage, and nearly 30 homes suffered some damage. According to the Baltimore Sun, the blast was heard twelve miles away.

The cause of the blast was traced to a leaking propane tank. A resident in the home was running an auto body shop from the house's garage. According to the Baltimore Sun, the garage contained propane tanks, acetylene gas, gasoline and welding equipment.

The home was being rented at the time of the explosion.

Police recovered what they believed to be drugs from the scene, including 15 pounds of marijuana, hashish, LSD and amphetamines.

Click on one of the pictures to view a zoomed-in slide show.





house explosion,bowie,maryland,md,placid court,pointer ridge,1974
The rubble left after the house at 902 Placid Court in Bowie's Pointer Ridge section exploded.



house explosion,bowie,maryland,md,placid court,pointer ridge,1974
902 Placid Court



house explosion,bowie,maryland,md,placid court,pointer ridge,1974
902 Placid Court



house explosion,bowie,maryland,md,placid court,pointer ridge,1974
902 Placid Court



house explosion,bowie,maryland,md,placid court,pointer ridge,1974
902 Placid Court



house explosion,bowie,maryland,md,placid court,pointer ridge,1974
902 Placid Court



house explosion,bowie,maryland,md,placid court,pointer ridge,1974
902 Placid Court. Note the helicopter in the background. Some victims from the explosion were airlifted to local hospitals.



house explosion,bowie,maryland,md,placid court,pointer ridge,1974
902 Placid Court



house explosion,bowie,maryland,md,placid court,pointer ridge,1974
According to the Washington Post, three other houses were seriously damaged from the blast, and about 30 houses suffered some damage. No one was home at this colonial next door to the explosion.



house explosion,bowie,maryland,md,placid court,pointer ridge,1974
904 Placid Court



house explosion,bowie,maryland,md,placid court,pointer ridge,1974
902 Placid Court



house explosion,bowie,maryland,md,placid court,pointer ridge,1974
902 Placid Court



house explosion,bowie,maryland,md,placid court,pointer ridge,1974
Officials check for natural gas leaks before cause of the blast was determined.




These pictures were posted as part of the Bowie Blade Pic Project, I've been posting pictures taken by Arnie Miles for the Bowie Blade between 1973 and 1975.

Creative Commons License
Photos of Bowie Maryland 1973 through 1975 by Arnie Miles is licensed under a Creative
Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States
License



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