Updated August 21, 2026: Anne Arundel County fire officials have identified the woman killed in the August 19 house explosion near Annapolis as 76-year-old Linda Synowczynski. The man rescued from the collapsed home suffered severe burns and remained in critical condition at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center as of August 20, according to CBS Baltimore.
Investigators are still working to determine what caused the explosion. The fire department says an initial investigation found that a gas company had been at the home filling its propane tank about an hour before the blast, and investigators have contacted the company for more information.
Officials have not determined that propane or the delivery caused the explosion. FOX 5 DC reported that the propane tank has since been located and secured.
Pritzker Hageman’s gas explosion lawyers represent burn survivors and families nationwide. A legal investigation can begin while the official investigation is still underway to preserve evidence and determine whether a company, contractor, manufacturer, or another party may be legally responsible.
Were You Injured in an Explosion?
Quick Facts About the Annapolis House Explosion
- Location: 1100 block of Green Holly Drive, Cape St. Claire area near Annapolis, Maryland
- Date: August 19, 2026
- Fatalities: Linda Synowczynski, 76, was killed.
- Injuries: A man rescued from the home suffered severe burns and remained in critical condition at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center as of August 20.
- Damage: The two-story home collapsed, with debris scattered roughly half a block.
- Cause: Still under investigation.
- Propane investigation: Fire officials say a gas company filled the home’s propane tank about one hour before the explosion. Investigators have contacted the company, but officials have not determined that propane or the delivery caused the blast. The tank has since been located and secured.
What Happened in the Annapolis House Explosion?
Multiple 911 calls came in at about 12:17 p.m. from the 1100 block of Green Holly Drive, according to local reporting. Firefighters arrived within minutes and found the upper level of the home collapsed onto the lower level.
Neighbors pulled 76-year-old Linda Synowczynski from debris outside the home and began helping her before first responders arrived. She was in cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A man was found inside the collapsed structure with significant burn injuries and was airlifted to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. He remained in critical condition as of August 20 and had not been publicly identified by fire officials.
Both people lived in the home. WMAR reported that investigators were continuing to work to determine the cause.
An Anne Arundel County police officer suffered a leg injury while working at the scene, and a nearby resident was evaluated for exhaustion. Several neighboring homes were evacuated as crews worked to secure the area. The homes closest to the blast were reported to have relatively limited damage compared with the destroyed residence.
How a Legal Investigation Can Help After a House Explosion
Families do not have to wait for the official investigation to end before talking with a lawyer. A government investigation and a civil legal investigation can happen at the same time.
Fire investigators focus on finding the origin and cause of the explosion and addressing public-safety concerns. A civil legal investigation focuses on preserving evidence, identifying who may be responsible, and determining whether the injured survivor or family may have a legal claim.
An independent explosion investigation may examine:
- The propane tank, regulator, valves, piping, connectors, and appliances
- Propane delivery, service, inspection, and repair records
- Whether gas leaked and where it accumulated
- Whether a tank, regulator, appliance, or other component failed
- Whether anyone reported a gas odor, leak, or appliance problem before the explosion
- Photos, videos, security-camera footage, 911 records, and witness statements
- Whether important parts can be preserved for testing by qualified experts
If propane is found to have leaked but no one smelled the usual warning odor, investigators may also look at issues such as propane odor fade, under-odorization, storage conditions, and how the tank was filled or serviced.
Who Could Be Liable if Propane Caused the Explosion?
If the evidence ultimately shows that propane or propane equipment caused the explosion, legal responsibility will depend on what failed and who was responsible for that part of the system. Pritzker Hageman’s propane explosion lawyers investigate the full chain of companies and contractors involved rather than assuming the first company mentioned in a news report is at fault.
Depending on the evidence, potentially responsible parties could include:
- A propane supplier or delivery company, if the evidence shows that its delivery, inspection, warning, or service practices contributed to the explosion.
- A company that installed, inspected, maintained, or repaired the propane tank, regulator, piping, or appliances.
- A manufacturer of a defective tank, regulator, valve, connector, appliance, or other component.
- An appliance installer, HVAC contractor, plumber, or other contractor whose work created or failed to correct a dangerous condition.
- A landlord, property owner, or management company, if the home was rented and a condition within its responsibility contributed to the blast.
- Another person or business whose conduct created the leak, allowed propane to accumulate, or supplied the ignition source.
In the Annapolis house explosion investigation, fire officials say a gas company filled the home’s propane tank about an hour before the explosion and investigators have contacted the company for more information. The company has not been publicly identified, and officials have not said that the delivery caused or contributed to the blast.
Can a Burn Survivor or Family File a House Explosion Lawsuit?
Yes. A person seriously injured in a house explosion may have a personal injury claim, and the family of someone killed may have a wrongful death claim if negligence, a defective product, or another wrongful act caused or contributed to the explosion.
A house explosion lawsuit may seek compensation for losses such as:
- Medical treatment, burn-center care, surgeries, rehabilitation, and future medical needs
- Lost income and reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring, disfigurement, disability, and loss of quality of life
- Long-term care, medical equipment, and home modifications
- Wrongful death and other losses suffered by surviving family members
Who may be legally responsible depends on what caused the explosion. Potentially responsible parties can include a gas or propane supplier, contractor, property owner, equipment manufacturer, appliance manufacturer, or another person or company whose actions contributed to the blast.
Because serious explosion cases often involve multiple companies and technical evidence, a legal investigation can help determine what happened, who may be responsible, and what claims may be available.
Pritzker Hageman Represents Burn Survivors and Families Nationwide
Pritzker Hageman’s burn injury legal team represents people with life-changing burn injuries and families who lost loved ones in explosions across the United States. The team works with cause-and-origin investigators, engineers, product experts, and burn-care professionals to understand what happened and build cases that reflect the long-term impact of severe injuries.
The firm has obtained major recoveries in explosion cases, including a $45 million settlement for a client who lost an arm and a leg in a gas pipeline explosion and a $10 million settlement for a client who suffered severe burn injuries in a propane explosion.
Pritzker Hageman also supports the broader burn community through its support for burn survivors and partnership with the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors.
If you were seriously injured in the Annapolis house explosion, or if your family lost a loved one, you can contact Pritzker Hageman for a free, confidential consultation. Call 1-888-377-8900 or text 612-261-0856. There is no fee unless the firm recovers compensation for you.
Annapolis House Explosion FAQ
A house on Green Holly Drive in the Cape St. Claire area near Annapolis, Maryland, exploded on August 19, 2026. The blast destroyed the two-story home, killed 76-year-old Linda Synowczynski, and left another resident with severe burn injuries. The surviving man remained in critical condition at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center as of August 20.
The cause of the Annapolis house explosion has not been determined. Anne Arundel County fire investigators are continuing to investigate the blast with assistance from other agencies. Officials say a gas company filled the home’s propane tank about an hour before the explosion, but they have not determined whether that delivery or propane caused the blast.
Investigators are examining propane, but officials have not determined that propane caused or contributed to the explosion. Fire officials say a gas company filled the home’s propane tank about an hour before the blast and investigators have contacted the company for more information. The propane tank has since been located and secured.
Anne Arundel County fire officials identified the woman killed in the explosion as Linda Synowczynski, 76. A man who also lived in the home suffered severe burns and remained in critical condition at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center as of August 20. Fire officials had not publicly identified him.
Potentially, yes. If evidence shows that negligence, a defective product, improper propane service, or another wrongful act contributed to the explosion, the injured survivor may have a claim for medical expenses, future care, lost income, pain and suffering, scarring, disfigurement, and other losses. A house explosion lawsuit depends on what investigators determine caused the blast and who was responsible.
Potentially, yes. If another person or company is found legally responsible for causing the explosion, eligible family members or the estate may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim. A legal investigation can examine what caused the explosion, who may be responsible, and the losses suffered by the surviving family.
If investigators determine that propane caused or contributed to the explosion, potentially responsible parties could include a propane supplier, delivery company, installer, service or repair contractor, equipment manufacturer, property owner, or another company responsible for the propane system.
No. The family and injured survivor can speak with a lawyer while the government investigation is still underway. An independent explosion lawsuit investigation can focus on preserving evidence, obtaining records, identifying potentially responsible parties, and determining whether a legal claim exists without interfering with the work of fire investigators.