19 Action News|Cleveland, OH|Breaking News, Weather, ExclusivesFired Up: House Explosion That Rocked Cleveland Neighborhood Was Intentionally Set
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CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - Fire officials tell 19 Action News that arson caused the explosion that rocked a west side Cleveland neighborhood last Monday.
The blast leveled a vacant home on West 83rd Street and destroyed three building and damaged fifty-five others.
Natural gas was originally suspected after a Dominion crew plugged a gas leak inside the abandoned home. Work outside was delayed as a line was buried too deep.
This, as four local law firms filed a class action suit against Dominion for the blast on West 83rd Street on Monday.
Right now, three homeowners and about ten renters are involved in the class action suit. Renters want personal property reimbursed and homeowners are seeking compensation for damaged real estate and personal property.
Investigators are remaining tight-lipped as to protect the integrity of the investigation.
"What we want to do is ensure the residents of this community and the city of Cleveland that we want to keep them safe so any information that could assist us we would appreciate that," said Larry Gray of the Cleveland Fire Department.
19 Action News has learned that one of the west side homeowners listed in the lawsuit against Dominion has two previous arson convictions.
The same man convicted of arson, Bill Calderwood, also owned the garage where authorities found military contraband.
In 1979, Calderwood was sent to prison for burning a house in Michigan and then in 2004, he pleaded to burning another house and insurance fraud. He was sentenced to just probation.
Calderwood, who is currently on probation in Michigan, has not commented.
There are no suspects in the west side Cleveland explosion.
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