A leaking gas stove caused the explosion in a north Minneapolis home last month that killed two women, the Minneapolis Fire Department said on Thursday.
The ignition point is still unknown, but the kitchen stove provided the fuel for the blast and fire July 30 at 4314 Morgan Av. N., according to Assistant Fire Chief Cherie Penn.
"From this point on, this case is a civil matter that will be handled by the property owner, insurance companies and other private entities," Penn said in a statement Thursday morning.
The stove was considered a possible source of the gas leak early on, according to family members of the two victims, who said they learned that from fire officials. They said the stove had been installed in late January, shortly before Valerie VanMieghem-Moore, 41, moved in with her two boys, ages 7 and 5.
Reached Thursday, the landlord, Joseph Hoffman of Fridley, would not discuss the Fire Department's finding or when the stove was installed. Asked whether he knew what caused the blast, he said no.
"I really wish that I did," Hoffman said. "It's a tragedy. I'm praying for the families."
Firefighters were called to the property at 12:24 p.m. July 30. Two women had escaped but were badly burned. Elizabeth Mulay, 43, died Aug. 5. VanMieghem-Moore, 41, died Wednesday. Her sons were not in the home at the time of the blast.
K.G. Wilson, founder and president of Hope Ministries and spokesman for the Charez Jones Foundation, plans to hold a vigil for VanMieghem-Moore at 5 p.m. Saturday at the explosion site. A vigil had been held there Sunday for Mulay.
