Loud Boom, Big Explosion Sets Off Oakland House Fire
OAKLAND (CBS) -- Fire damaged two homes on Brighton Avenue, in Oakland Thursday night.
When the house caught fire, flames began to shoot out the windows. The house next door was in serious danger of also going up in smoke.
Neighbors said it all started with a loud explosion.
"Boom," said John Cavanaugh. "Just a loud boom and the whole house shook and, as you can see, the flames went up about 10 feet."
Another man was distraught because his cat was trapped inside. He wanted to go in after it. Thankfully, firefighters found his cat they began to resuscitate him. The man was still upset, but grateful.
"I don't know what the origin of the fire is just yet," Batallion Chief Coy Justice told KPIX5. "I don't know if anything blew up just yet --- that's being investigated by a fire investigator right now."
One building had severe fire damage inside. The house next door had some charring on the outside, but was spared any serious damage.
In all, 5 adults and one child are left without a place to stay the night. Some other pets who escaped will also be looking for shelter.