1 person injured in Denver house explosion. Fire department blames corroded gas line
One person was injured and taken to a hospital after an explosion at a house was reported by the Denver Fire Department on Monday afternoon.
The extent of that person's injury was not immediately clear, but the resulting fire has since been extinguished, according to Denver Fire Captain JD Chism. That explosion was first reported just before 2 p.m. near South Osceola Street and West Morrison Road. Crews are now working to stabilize the structure itself.
"We did notice that part of the building did have structural damage that was in line with the reports that there was an explosion," he said. "We did have to fight this fire a little bit differently. Due to the fact that we had the structural problems, we couldn't necessarily fight this fire from the inside, we couldn't get on the roof just because we were worried about our crews and any kind of structural collapse that might have happened."
The cause and exact location of the explosion and within the house are still under investigation, but preliminary findings from Denver fire investigators blamed it on a corroded gas line.
There's no active threat to neighboring structures, Chism said, as the gas and electricity have been shut off at the impacted home.
One family has been displaced as a result of the fire and the fire department is now working with them and the Red Cross.