73-Year-Old Man Critically Burned In Explosion At Van Nuys Home
VAN NUYS (CBSLA) — A 73-year-old man was critically burned Friday after an explosion at a Van Nuys home.
At 12:50 p.m., firefighters responded to the 6900 block of North Murietta Avenue, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported.
"Firefighters secured the utilities and confirmed (there were) no remaining patients in the house," said Margaret Stewart of the LAFD. "The main house does not appear to be affected, only the garage. The occupant reports using the kitchen oven prior to the explosion."
Stewart initially described the man's injuries as non-life-threatening, but later said he suffered "critical, life-threatening burns."
The man's name was not immediately released.
LAFD arson investigators were called to the scene "due to the severity of the burn injury," along with an Urban Search and Rescue team, Stewart said.
The source of the explosion was under investigation, however, a person who was inside the home said they were using the kitchen oven.
"I thought a bomb, an earthquake, but I'm not a person who's really paranoid," Maggie Karickhoff, a neighbor, said.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)