A loud explosion shook the neighborhood around 28 Poppy Lane in Palm Coast early this morning, drawing a response from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, a road closure and the summoning of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s bomb squad.
School buses were redirected from the area, and students asked to avoid it. Poppy lane is a relatively short street that connects to two ends of Poplar Drive, which branch off of Ponce de Leon in the city’s P Section. The sheriff’s Crime Scene Investigation unit was also at the scene, as was the Palm Coast Fire Department. The state fire marshal was also dispatched, as was a K-9 unit.
“We did respond to a report of a loud explosion this morning, and when we arrived we found some evidence that there’d been something occur,” Palm Coast Acting Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill said. There was no active hazard. The scene was cleared to enable the sheriff’s investigation to continue. The state fire marshal aside, the local fire department is not involved in the investigation.
The explosion, heard as far south as the areas of Royal Palms Parkway and Point Pleasant Drive, was reported shortly after 5 a.m. It wasn’t initially clear whether it came from within the house or outside of it. Residents reported it smelled like fireworks. Transformers explode atop utility poles from time to time, with bright flashes and explosive bangs that can be heard throughout a neighborhood. In this case, however, a hole in the ground was reported in the property’s yard, and there were early indications that a makeshift device was the source of the explosion.
“We saw nothing to indicate that it would be a transformer,” Berryhill said. “We’re not in the determination business per se, once it gets in the investigation level.”
Eric Robinson, 30, the resident at the Poppy Lane address, has been on community control, or house arrest, after failing to successfully complete a three-year drug-offender probation term for cocaine possession and tampering with evidence. Last July his probation officer filed a probation-violation report charging that he’d not been making his required payments–he was $360 in arrears, according to the report–even though he’d been working at a boat manufacturer’s in Volusia County. His probation was revoked on Aug. 5.
The property at 28 Poppy is adjacent to that of Carol Bacha, known as Mother Elizabeth, the former candidate for Flagler County School Board in 2020 and for Palm Coast mayor last July.
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Jonathan says
Unbelievable. What is going on in Palm Coast? It sure seems like crime is building and building up. Gun control is out of control and now explosives.
Mom first over anything says
I am the resident of 28 Poppy and this morning the incident that occurred between me and my neighbors house has nothing to do with my oldest son and his background that don’t even live there or was aware of the situation. I have called Flagler county sheriff’s department on several occasions due to my neighbor across the street throwing dog poop on the roof of my house old bullet shell casings and my driveway and putting notes and signs and his front yard about my youngest honor roll student son. What occurred has nothing and I repeat nothing to do with my son.
Concerned Citizen says
So what exactly happened then?
Since you are the resident there fil in the blanks.
Neighbor not so neighborly says
Why don’t you connect the dots? There’s a neighbor throwing dog poop on her roof and slandering her school age son.
Jimbo99 says
Interesting way to start Thursday off in Palm Coast/Flagler County. Local knowledge is that the properties indicated have round manhole cover sized things in the yards. Might’ve been backed up sewage pipes that exploded. Methane gases build up, in this case sewage can be combustible & explosive. It may only take a lit cigarette to ignite that. Who knows if the property has natural gas lines even ? And back to a potential sewage explosion theory, could always be a Septic System rather than city sewage ? see the lift & pump stations link. Every so often the Septic tank has to be pumped empty otherwise the sewage backs up into the house. When that sewage septic system gets neglected by the homeowner, which probably happens quite often with a rental property, clogging can occur at the very least. Sometimes the entire septic system may need to be replaced. If that exploded, a septic system is contained underground explosion to that property. Where a city sewage pipe might even explode for several residences on a street ?
https://www.balkanplumbing.com/sewer-gas-smell-can-be-explosive/
https://www.septicsolutions.com/septic-parts/complete-pump-systems/simplex-pump-stations
DennisC Rathsam says
Dog shit on the roof!!!! What an inteligent idea. Looks like Palm Coast quest for more & more housing, & that almighty TAX dollar brings the best people to live here! What animals, with no respect, & more burden on our sheriff.
Jimbo99 says
Depends upon the source of the dog poop. Some folks don’t pick their pets poop up, they just walk their dog, let it crap in a neighbors yard. Enough times and the poop is unsanitary, it’s feces. How big is the dog ? Small dogs, small poops, bigger dogs, naturally leave bigger poops. Maybe the neighbor got fed up with dodging land mines in their own yard ? The adult thing to do would be polite & address it, maybe something happens, maybe nothing changes ? So this is a classic rural feud in Palm Coast. Could be fireworks set off. Some folks don’t get along, the rest of us get to watch the show. I hope they figure it out soon, nobody else deserves the drama.
Jonathan says
Would be nice if the Flagler County Sheriff Office reported their findings.
FlaglerLive says
We have been asking for information repeatedly since yesterday. Astoundingly, we have gotten nothing.
Jimbo99 says
It’s like that even in the residential I’m in. The disturbance happens and anyone wanting to know anything to assess their potential for risk exposures gets no information, like it never happened, but there are at least 1/2 dozen plus experts scrambled & investigating the property & neighbor(s) involved.
palmcoaster says
Would be nice to receive a proper report on what actually happened…No code of silence please. The community needs to know what is going on and if any criminal act took place. Specially when the woman resident tells she reported to sheriff nasty harrasment from across the street neighhbor. She needs to install suveillance cameras to have evidence recorded. Dog poop thrown on her roof and empty bullet cases around? What is there the wild west? Would not surprise me as when I moved to my current home 20 years ago the trouble drug and substance users kids of my next door neighbor used to roller blade on his home roof and land on top of my chain link fence rail damaging it and hold wild drinking poarties late at night with minors attending among many other violations. Thanks to code and law enforcement they are long gone… Takes the community well informed to help resolve these nuisances!
A.j says
Don’t know what happened but didn’t hear any reports of injuries. That is good.
We the People says
Funny how there was a theft of fireworks not to long ago and now a giant explosion that smells like works just happened?
ASF says
One wonders “what’s cooking” on THAT street!
Timothy Patrick Welch says
Explosion…
Someone must have blew their top after seeing their property tax increase:)