Gas explosion

A rural Portland home exploded late Monday morning.

Rich Emery was working on a gas furnace at his 4625 S. 700 East home when it ignited, causing an explosion that destroyed the house and left him covered in rubble.

Emery was hospitalized with a variety of injuries.

Portland Fire Chief Mike Weitzel said this morning that gas must have collected in the basement, which sits on the eastern side of the home, while Emery was working. The resulting blast took down the eastern wall and roof, and spread remnants of the house across the yard.

Emery ended up covered in debris, with cuts all over his body. He told Jay County Sheriff’s Office he pulled himself out of the wreckage and could not locate his cell phone. So, he started driving to Portland.

Emery stopped his vehicle near the intersection of Boundary Pike and Reed Street, where he met up with his wife, Janet. Local authorities responded to a call about the explosion about 11:45 a.m.

Emery was transported to IU Ball Memorial Hospital of Muncie and later flown to IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

Salamonia Fire Department arrived first at the scene and extinguished a small electrical fire. Portland Fire Department joined to help with surveying damage.

“The structure is pretty much destroyed,” Weitzel said.

Pieces of wood, glass and other house elements were strewn about the eastern half of the lawn Monday afternoon. Some pieces of what had been the wall of the house ended up on top of a small barn. The east side of the roof leaned against the porch and southern wall, covering much of the damaged furniture.

One of the Emery’s dogs chained near the building stared at what remained of the house. (Another pet that was inside at the time of the explosion was missing after the explosion but located at a neighboring home later that day.)