On the list of things families need to worry about, ‘exploding houses’ doesn’t rank very high on the list. Yet sometimes a house explosion will claim the lives of family members inside. Here are some of the stories behind the statistics, showing why houses explode and the mess they leave behind.

Amateur bomb makers kill themselves and two young children
In Buena, New Jersey, a house explosion and subsequent fire killed two men and two young children. A police investigation found explosive materials at the residence, so it appears the men were making bombs, or possibly, if you want to take a less sinister view, home-made fireworks. (USA Today, 8-17-2023, p. 4B)