A Margaretville woman died Thursday night from an explosion and subsequent fire that started shortly after 6 p.m., the Delaware County emergency services director said.
The cause of the explosion at the home of Florence Mathis, 80, who lived at 423 Beeman Hill Road, is still under investigation, Rich Bell said.
Her son and daughter-in-law, Gregory and Roxane Mathis, said the family is devastated by the loss.
"She was somebody who loved kids," said her son.
Although she was a homemaker, she started a nursery school in a local church in the 1960s, he said. She eventually closed that but was a local Girl Scout leader for 50 years, and she was a volunteer aide at Margaretville Central School until about four years ago, he said.
Her husband died in 1996. She also has two daughters in the area, as well as nine grandchildren and great-grandchildren, he said.
"She was a wonderful woman," said Roxane Mathis. "She will be missed (by all who knew her)."
Bell said that while the cause has not been determined, the explosion originated in the basement and there are a few possible sources, including gas from a leaking pipe or an equipment malfunction. There was a propane hot-water heater in the basement and some other related equipment, he said.
She is believed to have been in the first-floor kitchen at the time of the explosion, Bell said. The blast was so powerful that it was felt in the village of Margaretville, about five miles away, he said. The nearest neighbors are about one-half mile away.
Anyone who has propane equipment must always be concerned about a leak, Bell said, and that will settle in the lowest area of the house.
Residents should make sure any such equipment is installed by a professional. There should be regular checks _ also by a professional _ to make sure everything is operating properly, he said.
Bell said he did not have any information on cause of death or whether there will be an autopsy, referring any such questions to Delaware County Medical Examiner Dr. Richard Ucci. The body was removed sometime between 9 and 10 p.m. Thursday at Ucci's direction, Bell said. Ucci did not return a message left Friday afternoon.
Agencies at the scene included fire departments from Margaretville, Halcottsville, Arkville, Fleischmanns, Roxbury and Stamford as well as Delaware County deputies, emergency services and fire prevention, and state police.
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