A look back at house explosions in the last decade
The house explosion on Elm Ridge Drive in Kitchener that sent four people to hospital and displaced several others wasn’t the first one in our area in the last decade.
The Elm Ridge incident is now the fourth since 2013 – with two occurring in Kitchener and one in Guelph.
ACTIVA AVENUE EXPLOSION
In January 2013, neighbours said the explosion of a home on Activa Avenue in Kitchener sounded like a massive thunder strike.
“My entire house shook. I thought it was an earthquake at first,” a neighbour Austin Koehler told CTV on Jan. 13, 2013.
A mother, father and their two children in the heart of the explosion were asleep when it happened.
"She was on the roof. She was screaming for her child,” witness Masih Rashed said.
Nine months later, Minh Nguyen, one of the victims, told CTV he was still shaken after the incident.
Nguyen said he spent two months recovering.
“I tried to stand up, but I fell down three times because my pelvis is broken,” Nguyen said.
No cause was ever determined for the explosion, beyond an unknown gas-related origin.
SPRUCEDALE CRESCENT EXPLOSION
Only about five kilometres from Activa Avenue, on Sprucedale Crescent, a house was levelled in August 2018.
Over 30 firefighters were on-scene fighting the flames in the home that exploded, along with two adjacent houses that were damaged.
“I just heard this sort of crackling noise going up the wall, and I thought that's kind of weird, and then kaboom,” said Sharee Bailie in an interview with CTV on Aug. 27, 2018.
A woman, later identified as Edra Haan, 58, was killed. A man, later identified as her husband, Udo Haan, was airlifted to hospital.
Udo Haan was later arrested in connection to the incident and is facing first-degree murder and arson charges. He was denied bail in 2019. He is still going through the court system and has a hearing scheduled for Feb. 1, 2023.
Edra’s brother spoke to CTV days after the explosion.
“As a sister, she was somebody I looked up to. Someone who put her family ahead of herself," Al Pinheiro said.
The cause of the explosion was not released, but it was believed Edra was killed before the house blew up.
SOUTHCREEK TRAIL EXPLOSION IN GUELPH
A woman escaped unharmed after her home went up in flames in January 2020 on Southcreek Trail.
“I'm absolutely grateful that she didn't have any injuries at all," const. Kyle Grant from Guelph police told CTV on Jan. 31, 2020.
Neighbours were left on edge.
“I basically heard like a big boom and rattling of our house,” said neighbour Stephanie Roth.
For months, the cause was investigated.
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) later determined the explosion was due to a gas metre change and “procedural problems on-site”. Enbridge confirmed the company did work at the home before the incident.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.