Couple OK after gas blast wrecks home

RUIDOSO, N.M. (KBIM-KRQE) - A Ruidoso couple considers themselves lucky to be alive after their house exploded while they were still inside Saturday.

The blast happened at about 9:15 a.m. on Bear Avenue along Forest Service Road 117 in north of Ruidoso.

It’s believed something ignited propane gas from a leak under the structure.

“We got up; we weren’t sure we thought we smelled propane, so my husband was investigating,” homeowner Marvellee Kissling said. “That’s when the explosion occurred.”

The force of the explosion threw her husband Doug out into the snow.

“I was inside the house in one of the few places that didn’t totally collapse,” Marvellee said.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department as well as volunteer firefighters from the area came to the rescue.

A neighboring cabin, which Kissling says has been abandoned for years, was damaged, and several windows were blown out.

Both residents were taken to the hospital and quickly released.

There is no word on how much all the destruction will cost, but Marvellee said they intend to rebuild.

“We love the area and just enjoy every day because it’s a miracle," she said.