Local woman escapes house explosion

“Just total amazement, shock. Living alone, being in the house at the time absolutely it’s amazing she got out,” says Randy Foote, assistant fire chief of Sodus Center. Foote was one of the first responders to the home explosion on McMullen Drive in Sodus Center.

Investigators were called to the scene of the explosion at around 8:20 a.m. Monday. The home, built in the 1800s, was home to 72 year old Joy Horton for more than 20 years. Horton, a widow, lived at the residence with several cats.

“At the corner, it was just a quick yellow flash of light,” said Horton, who survived the blast with just minor bumps and bruises, “what came down, landed across the kitchen table, and the kitchen shelf and I crawled out from under that and out my window.”

Horton was able to escape, with two of her cats. The blast was heard by residents as far as two miles away.

“The lord was with me and it's my faith that keeps me going and the Lord was there with me otherwise I would never made it house,” says Horton.

“The Lord was with her. How would she get out of that house. Now I'm going to get goose bumps again, because that's what happened when I first saw the house,” says Bonnie Bertou, Horton’s stepdaughter, who grew up in the house.

Horton’s house, like most in the Sodus Center area, are fueled by propane rather than a natural gas line. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation. Firefighters are looking at several possibilities including a propane leak and electrical wiring problems. The investigation is being done by the Wayne County Fire Investigation team.

“Possibly a gas leak, nothing's been determined, we've got the investigators on the scene. Honestly I don't know,” says Foote.  

It may take more than a week before all of the possessions are removed from the rubble and the house is able to be excavated. Joy Horton in the meantime is staying with her family.