Woman escapes blast, fire

A Brooklyn Park woman ran out of her burning house just before it exploded early today, Anne Arundel County fire officials said.

The 1 a.m. blast in the 5800 block of Redmond St. was heard by police officers several blocks away.

Marjorie Russo, whose age was not available, was not injured; however, her two dogs were killed.

Mrs. Russo told authorities that she had detected an onion-like odor in her home yesterday and that last night she felt nauseous and had a headache. Lt. Robert H. Kornmann, a Fire Department spokesman, said her symptoms could have been caused by a natural gas leak.

Fire officials were sifting through the rubble today, trying to determine a cause. The house was destroyed, Lieutenant Kornmann said.

Two houses on either side also were damaged and had to be evacuated, he said.

Lieutenant Kornmann said Ms. Russo told authorities that she was in her second-floor bedroom minutes before 1 a.m. when she heard a pop. She walked to the door "and was immediately hit with debris," he said.

She ran downstairs and out the front door just as the house exploded in flames, Lieutenant Kornmann said.