Family devastated after 5 badly burned in explosion that destroyed their home

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WAVE/Gray News) - A home explosion in Indiana left a family’s lives in shambles. Not only were five family members badly burned, but they lost everything and will have to rebuild.

Five members of the Atkinson family, all adults, were inside a Jeffersonville home when it exploded just before midnight July 30. All of them were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

The family’s home caught fire and collapsed, leaving them with nothing, according to family friend Alicia Denson. She started a GoFundMe to help support them as they recover and eventually rebuild.

“My goal is to ultimately help them rebuild, as well as help with medical expenses for their recovery,” Denson said. “They have a long, long road to recovery.”

The goal is $25,000 to help cover the Atkinsons’ medical bills and help them replace everything that was lost, including clothes and personal items.

Denson says all five family members who were injured in the explosion had their first surgeries last Sunday. Most of them still needed critical care at that time and were wrapped up from head to toe.

A man and his 7-year-old son were the other two family members not home when the incident happened. The boy only had a pair of shoes and one sock left from the rubble, but he did receive school supplies before he went back to school last Monday.

Denson describes the Atkinsons as caring and giving and hopes others can show them the same kindness.

“They’re just sweet and kind,” Denson said. “They’re always trying to give the shirts off their back and helping anyone that they can.”

Officials later determined the cause of the explosion was a gas leak inside the family’s home.