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Community Rallies After Family Loses Everything In Gas Line Explosion In Central PA

A community is coming together to help the Barber family get back on their feet after everything they owned, including the family cat, blew up when a contractor hit a gas line on Tuesday. 

The Barber family outside of their former home.

The Barber family outside of their former home.

Photo Credit: GoFundMe/Katie Duez

Jennifer and Chad Barber's home in the 3200 block of Crest Road near the intersection with Northway Road in Susquehanna Township exploded around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 13. 

The neighborhood was evacuated and sheltered in a nearby church with support from the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania. 

"A UGI truck with debris on the hood and what appeared to be a deployed airbag inside," was visible at the scene reports WGAL

The official cause of the explosion turned house fire has yet to be officially released by the fire marshal, but it is reportedly due to a contractor working at the home hitting a gas line. A Pronto Plumbing truck was seen parked at the home but it has not been confirmed that was the contractor in question. Daily Voice has reached out to the company but has not heard back. 

Crews said they were called to the home to investigate and smelled natural gas, and as the last firefighter cleared the home, it exploded throwing the firefighter and injuring the contractor and a neighbor, reports CBS 21

Residents were permitted back in their homes around 5:45 p.m but "UGI will be on scene through the night," the police said in an updated release on Tuesday night.

The Barbers didn't have a home to return to, everything they owned was lost. The community is rallying for them and their two daughters, launching a GoFundMe and raising $3,065 of a $13,000 goal from over 50 donors in less than 24 hours. 

If you'd like to donate to the GoFundMe campaign for the Barber family you can do so here

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