It was a frightening and tragic scene at 292 Barber Loop in Mooresville, North Carolina last night when the home of Tennessee Titans’ cornerback, Caleb Farley, exploded – leaving one person dead and another person injured. The home explosion occurred at around midnight, according to authorities.
In the hours since the explosion occurred, authorities have confirmed that Caleb wasn’t in the home at the time. Unfortunately, the body – which was found in a bedroom area in the back of the house – was identified as 61-year-old Robert M. Farley, Caleb’s father. Our thoughts and prayers go to the family.
Kent Green, the Director of Fire Services and Emergency Management for Iredell County, said they believe the home explosion was caused by a suspected gas leak. They also confirmed that a second person – who has yet to be identified – was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
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A news release by Iredell County Emergency Management says ‘the 6,391 square foot home is a total loss’ and verified that the Iredell County Fire Marshal’s Office, the NC State Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are continuing their investigation.
Caleb Farley was born in Maiden, North Carolina and attended Maiden High School – roughly 27 miles away from the home explosion. After a successful high school football career, he committed to Virginia Tech and was supposed to be their wide receiver before tearing his ACL in 2017 (his freshman season).
He returned to the football field the following year, but made the switch to cornerback – where he started to turn some heads and open some eyes. He appeared in 24 games for the Hokies between 2018 and 2019 – recording 56 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, 1.0 sack, 6 interceptions, and 19 passes defensed.
His hard work paid off and he was drafted by the Tennessee Titans with the No. 22 overall (first round) pick in the 2021 NFL Draft – he has played in 12 games since then, including nine games last season. After his rookie year, he purchased a home in Mooresville, NC for $2.05 million – the site of the tragedy.
“Just praying for Caleb,” said Derrick Henry, a teammate of Caleb Farley. “We were probably the last ones in the locker room last night just hanging around. We just found out the news. My prayers go out to him and his family.” Titans’ head coach, Mike Vrabel, also sent out his condolences to the family.
This Isn’t the First Home Explosion This Month
Caleb Farley’s home explosion isn’t the first such tragedy this month. It was just 10 days ago that a home roughly 20 miles east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania exploded – completely leveling the home and leaving nine other nearby homes uninhabitable. Authorities found six dead bodies among the debris and rubble.
According to the State Department of Environmental Protection, the homeowners were having difficulty with their hot water tank leading up to the home explosion – though the investigation is still ongoing and a direct or exact cause has yet to be identified. It took crews from 36 fire departments to contain the fire.
The six victims – four in the basement, one in the garage, and one in the backyard – were identified as Casey Clontz, 38, Keegan Clontz, 12, Heather Oravitz, 51, Paul Oravitz, 56, Kevin Sebunia, 55, and Michael Thomas, 57. Paul Oravitz was rescued from the yard, but died in the hospital several days later.
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The recent string of home explosions is a sobering reminder of the dangers that come with owning a home. To prevent a home explosion in your own neighborhood, we recommend having gas detectors installed in your home and making sure you monitor and properly maintain any gas-using appliances.
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