Coolidge Gas Line Explosion Leaves 2 People Dead, 1 Severely Burned

A gas line explosion south of Coolidge left two people dead and one person severely burned.

According to police, the bodies of a man and his 14-year-old daughter were found on Sunday inside a home in Coolidge that caught fire after the gas explosion.

Fire officials responded to the scene just after 5:30 a.m. near the intersection of Vail and Randolph roads after receiving reports of an explosion in the area.


A woman managed to escape the fire from a window in the home, and is in critical condition. The woman had severe burns to 50% of her body and was airlifted to the Maricopa County Burn Center to treat her injuries.

She was identified by police on Sunday as Rosalina Alvarez. Authorities found her outside the home.

The two bodies found inside the home are believed to be Luis Alvarez and, his daughter, Valeria Alvarez. Due to the condition of their bodies, their identities will be confirmed after an autopsy by the Pinal County Medical Examiner.

The explosion is assumed to be from a pipeline managed by Kinder-Morgan on Sunday. Multiple departments responded to the site, according to city manager Rick Miller.

The gas was turned off at about 7:50 a.m. and the fire to the gas line and home was extinguished a short time later.

No other structures were damaged and no other injuries were reported.