BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Fire investigators continue to search for answers after a deadly home explosion in Lake View that claimed the life of a 78-year-old woman and left her husband critically injured.
Investigators were back in the neighborhood Tuesday, canvassing the area and examining what remains of the home on West Lane. Officials are still working to determine what caused the blast.
WATCH: Below you can watch drone video that shows the aftermath of the deadly explosion.
A spokesperson for National Fuel said the utility company conducted a thorough investigation and found no leaks or other operational issues.
According to officials, 78-year-old Joene Pease died in the explosion. Her husband, John Pease, was pulled from the debris by a police officer and a firefighter. He remains in critical condition. The couple's dog was also rescued.
“There was debris all over the road, people everywhere,” Lake View Fire District assistant chief Bill Schnorr said.
The tragedy is drawing comparisons to a similar explosion in Lackawanna back in 2021, when a natural gas leak caused a home to explode on Bedford Avenue, killing 92-year-old Irene Sanok.
“I don’t even have words for it," a Lackawanna resident recalled. "It’s overwhelming."
Sanok, remembered as a kind neighbor who loved to bake, was beloved by the community.
“We all loved her, we all took care of her, I checked on her every day,” a fire official said in 2021. “Sweet old lady — never bothered anyone. We always helped her out.”
Today, the Bedford Avenue lot where Sanok’s house once stood remains vacant. A garage still stands. A neighbor told 7 News that flowers are still wrapped around a nearby utility pole in her memory.
In a statement, the City of Lackawanna said:
“The City of Lackawanna extends its deepest sympathies to the Pease family and the Lake View community as it works to recover and heal from this tragic event. We are truly heartbroken to see another community dealing with such loss and devastation.”
Back in Lake View, what's left of the Pease home tells its own story — pieces of a life scattered. Even a baseball still sits among the rubble.
“We will be cautious in what we say the causes here are, we’re not going to speculate,” Hamburg Police Captain John Baker said. “These guys have a lot of work to do, a lot of evidence to collect.”
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