Home explosion claims the life of area man

A rural Holton man was killed and a woman seriously injured in a Monday evening explosion at their residence about four miles north of Holton, according to Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse.

Billy “Lu” Griffiths, 61, who was currently employed as Banner Creek Reservoir director, was pronounced dead at the scene of the explosion, which occurred at 6:10 p.m. that day and “completely leveled” the house, located at 27284 Q4 Rd., Sheriff Morse said.

The explosion was reported as being heard at least 10 miles away from the scene, Morse said. It was heard and felt at Jackson Heights High School, which is located about 3/4 mile southwest of the house and where a school board meeting was briefly disrupted by the explosion, and one neighbor at the scene said the force of the explosion damaged a door at his residence.

Rescue units arriving at the scene found the structure on fire and debris from the explosion hanging from trees near the residence. Both Griffiths and his wife, Teri, were “found outside of where the residence once was,” Morse said.

“The home was completely decimated,” he added.

Teri Griffiths was found near the former home site with serious injuries, and she was taken by helicopter ambulance to a Kansas City hospital for treatment. Responders later located Lu Griffiths about 50 to 70 feet away from the residence, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, Morse said.

The Holton Fire Department and Jackson County EMS assisted the sheriff’s office at the scene, Morse said. The Kansas Fire Marshal’s Office also responded to the scene.

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The Holton Recorder

109 W. Fourth St.
Holton, KS 66436
Phone: 785-364-3141
 

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