‘Spewing out.’ Call logs detail Lexington gas explosion that killed 5-year-old
Fire and police dispatch logs for the day of the Lexington gas explosion that killed 5-year-old Alistair Lamb provide new details on what happened — and what did not — Aug. 9 in the critical hours before and after the explosion.
They show that the initial report of a gas leak came in at 4:13 p.m. A minute after that, the nature of the incident was clearly laid out in “call reports” involving Lexington police and fire departments, which The Star obtained through a Sunshine Law request.
“Hit a gas line — spewing out — in the alleyway,” the call at 4:14 p.m. to Lexington police and fire departments said.
Each time an agency was asked to respond to the scene of the gas leak and subsequent explosion 3 ½ hours later, a log was created, according to Central Dispatch in Higginsville. Those “call reports” show when an agency was requested to report to the scene and oftentimes why.
It was only a few minutes later, according to previous reporting, that Missouri’s 811 received a call alerting that a worker subcontracted by Sellenriek Construction had damaged the gas line while excavating to lay fiber optic cable.
In the eight days since the explosion, which also severely injured Alistair’s father, Jacob Cunningham, and his 10-year-old sister, Camillia “Cami” Lamb, few details have been released about what unfolded in the hours before.
These incident reports provide new information and greater detail.
Gas explosion detail
Angry neighbors question why no one called for homes in the area to be evacuated after numerous reports of gas odors. City officials say no one from Lexington can speak about the incident now that the National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation.
A spokeswoman with Liberty Utilities, the company whose line was damaged, also referred all questions to the NTSB.
A spokesperson with the NTSB said Wednesday morning that questions regarding why homes weren’t evacuated and what took place from the time the gas line was damaged to about 7:45 p.m. when the explosion occurred are part of the ongoing investigation.
These logs show that the Lexington Fire Department received the first call and the city police were immediately called to assist.
At 4:17 p.m, Liberty Utilities was notified about the incident, according to the fire department’s “Call Report.”
And nearly 30 minutes later, the report shows that the “gas co on scene.”
In the hours before the explosion, the reports don’t mention any discussions about evacuating homes or going door-to-door checking for gas levels.
After the blast
Cunningham and his two children had returned home for the evening prior to the explosion. At one point, Cunningham later told his mother, he flipped on the light switch and the house exploded, family said.
Reports show how the response from more than eight area departments — fire, police and ambulance — unfolded.
A call to several agencies went out at 7:46 p.m. April 9: “House explosion — multiple injuries.”
Over the next four hours, first responders from the Lexington Fire Deparment, Lexington Police, Higginsville Fire, Higginsville Police, Ray County EMS, the Wellington-Napoleon Fire Protection District, the Odessa Police, Mayview Fire and Corder Fire departments would respond.
Call reports from multiple jurisdictions offer a timeline following the explosion, including:
8:05 p.m. — Liberty Utilities shutting off gas to town
8:21 p.m. — 2nd House Collapses (1721 Franklin Ave)
8:26 p.m. — Partial collapse of structure 3
8:41 p.m. — Two transported, notified chief of a missing 5-year-old
9:05 p.m. — An hour and 20 minutes after the explosion, the Lexington Fire call report said: “incident under control.”
By 11:10 p.m. most first responders were returning to their jurisdictions. Rescue crews found Alistair’s body amid the rubble, family said, in the early morning hours of April 10.
His sister is still recovering in a Kansas City hospital. Family said his father was released Tuesday and will receive outpatient treatment.
For the first time since the explosion, Cunningham was able to visit with his daughter Tuesday night.
This story was originally published April 17, 2025 at 6:33 PM.
