Apartment City

SILVER SPRING, Md. - Just over year after the apartment explosion in Silver Spring, the National Transportation and Safety Board opened its public docket. The cause of the explosion remains undetermined , but the report does reveal new information from the investigation. According to the report, a vent pipe was disconnected in the basement where gas built up prior to the explosion, thus dismantling a safety feature in the meter room. When and why this happened is still unknown. Pending tests will further explore this. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said the explosion happened first, then the fire, not vice versa.

WASHINGTON (Aug. 15, 2017) — The National Transportation Safety Board opened the public docket Monday as part of its ongoing investigation of the Aug. 10, 2016, apartment building explosion fueled by natural gas in Silver Spring, Maryland. The explosion and fire in a four- story apartment building , part of the Flower Branch apartment complex in Silver Spring, Maryland, resulted in seven fatalities and 65 civilians were transported to local medical facilities . Also, 3 firefighters sustained minor injuries . An attached, adjacent apartment building sustained explosion damage and was immediately involved in the fire. (This front view of the accident scene shows two explosion-damaged buildings on Arliss Street, Silver Spring, Maryland. Building 8701 is located at the right center and building 8703 is located at the left of the photograph. (Photo provided by Public Service Commission of Maryland) The docket includes factual reports that cover various aspects of the investigation, ...