Centreville Residents Briefed on Gas Leak After Home Explosion

Officials say natural gas levels decreasing as pipelines are shut off, but evacuation zone could expand.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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After a home explosion in Centreville, Virginia, officials held a town hall meeting to brief over 100 residents on the progress of containing a suspected gas leak. They said natural gas levels inside and outside the homes closest to the explosion have been decreasing as two pipelines, including a 30-inch one believed to be the problem, have been shut off or cut. However, officials cautioned the evacuation zone could expand to a 550-foot radius if the pipeline company needs to do a larger excavation.

Why it matters

The home explosion has caused significant disruption and concern for the Centreville community, with many residents frustrated that they had previously reported a gas smell in the area. Officials are working to quickly determine the cause and contain the leak to allow displaced families to return home.

The details

The town hall meeting was attended by over 100 people, where officials said natural gas levels have been decreasing due to the shutting off of two pipelines, including a 30-inch one believed to be the source of the leak. However, the evacuation zone could potentially expand to a 550-foot radius if the pipeline company, Williams Company, needs to do a larger excavation. Many residents expressed frustration that they had called Washington Gas a couple days prior to the explosion to report a gas smell in the area.

  • The home explosion occurred on Sunday night in the 14300 block of Quail Pond Court in Centreville.
  • Officials said they should have a preliminary report from the NTSB on the cause of the explosion in about 30 days.

The players

Billy Meyers

A resident who was evacuated but will be among the 8-10 families able to return to their homes tonight.

Jeff McKay

The chairman of the Fairfax County Supervisors, who came to the scene on Tuesday evening.

Williams Company

The company that owns the 30-inch, 40-inch and 42-inch pipelines buried under the grass-covered right-of-way in the area.

Washington Gas

The gas provider that residents had called a couple days prior to the explosion to report a gas smell in the area.

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What they’re saying

“The oldest [kid] was a little concerned when we told him what happened. He was a little scared last night, but as time goes on, hopefully we'll be able to explain a little easier and he'll get a little more calm.”

— Billy Meyers (nbcwashington.com)

“This is obviously a very scary thing for this community. And we're just right now focused on getting, as quickly as we can, the two gas providers to discover why this happened.”

— Jeff McKay, Chairman of the Fairfax County Supervisors (nbcwashington.com)

What’s next

The NTSB says it should have a preliminary report on the cause of the explosion in about 30 days.

The takeaway

The Centreville community is grappling with the aftermath of a home explosion caused by a suspected gas leak, with officials working to contain the situation and determine the cause. The incident has raised concerns about gas safety and emergency response in the area.