By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
(This story has been updated with comments from an eyewitness).
GREAT BEND — Debris littered the roof of the Baltzell Lodge and surrounding properties early Wednesday morning, the result of a large overnight explosion in the 700 block of east 10th Street in Great Bend. The initial report of the blast came in around 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, and the explosion could be felt and heard as far away as Ellinwood.
"We're not sure what caused the explosion," Great Bend Chief of Police Steve Haulmark said Wednesday morning. "We're being assisted greatly by the fire department, the state fire marshal, and KBI. We're all working together on this, and it's still pretty early. We don't have a lot to release at this point."
Mariah Thomas was having a sleepless night several blocks directly west of the explosion. She was sitting on a porch swing facing east when the night sky lit up.
"I just this huge fireball flying through the sky," she said. "I saw it before I heard it. Then, the sound wave hit, and it knocked out the electricity in the whole surrounding area. I called 911 right away as it was happening. Once I hung up with them, I heard people just screaming. That probably was the worst part."
Thomas said the fireball had a peculiar look. "It was the explosion that was so crazy to me because it wasn't like one giant flame and a bunch of fire," she said. "It looked almost like an artillery shell firework. It was full of red sparks. That's the part that really blew my mind."
Haulmark did confirm a male subject was severely injured in the explosion, which leveled a residence situated just east of the Baltzell main office. As of 8 a.m., U.S. 56 Highway eastbound traffic was still reduced to one lane to maintain the integrity of the crime scene. Haulmark encouraged drivers to stay away from the area.
"There's really not a lot to see here, and there's no further concern for the community at this point," he said. "Either us or one of the other agencies will release a press release as soon as we can."
Haulmark said the state fire marshal's office is currently leading the investigation, and he was not sure when the Kansas Bureau of Investigation would take over.
Watch for more details on Post as they are made available.