Cape May County Couple Injured In House Explosion, Fire To Receive $2M

LOWER TOWNSHIP, N.J., (CBS) -- A Cape May County couple who were seriously injured when a powerful gas explosion and fire destroyed their house in 2013 will receive a $2 million settlement, their lawyers said.

James McCarty, 67, suffered severe burns to his legs, and his wife Evelyn, also 67, sustained two broken legs, as their house in Villas, N.J., was leveled in a blast on November 6th, 2013.

The explosion happened at about 4 p.m. in the 200 block of East Atlantic Avenue. The explosion was felt several miles away.

At the time, Lower Township Manager Mike Voll described the scene.

"When I pulled up to the scene a little after 4 p.m., when I got the call about this emergency, it looked like a war zone. Debris from the home was blown yards, hundreds of yards away in different directions. So the impact was felt miles away and it was quite an explosion," Voll said.

The incident occurred after the McCartys had switched from propane to natural gas.

According to law firm Kline & Specter, P.C., the majority of the settlement, $1.625 million, will be paid by the contractor, Shore Guys Heating and Air Conditioning, LLC. The law firm says the company disconnected the propane by cutting pipes underneath the home and turning off the tank, but failed to lock the tank or to remove it from the property.

South Jersey Fuel & Propane agreed to pay $275,000 as part of the settlement.

The incident happened after the McCartys, unable to turn on their gas fireplace, asked a neighbor for assistance.

The neighbor noticed the propane tank valve was closed and opened the valve, causing gas to flow into the severed pipes and collect beneath the house.

The explosion happened when James McCarty stepped into the shower and turned the water on, igniting the hot water tank and the gas beneath the home.