No One Hurt, But Multiple Pets Die In Mpls. House Explosion
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- No one was injured in a Tuesday afternoon house explosion in the Lyn-Lake area of Minneapolis that rocked the neighborhood.
"I saw a microwave fly out the window (during the explosion)," said Christopher Wallin, a neighbor. "It sounded like someone had taken a sledge hammer and crashed through a window ... it was like a movie, all the sudden stuff is flying out -- like an old fashioned microwave."
The four-plex on the 3000 block of Grand Avenue South was unoccupied at the time and burst into flames as a result. Battallion Chief Michael Fust believes gas could have been the cause of the one-alarm fire.
Crews had to fight the fire from outside, Fust said, because the blaze was so intense within the building.
"It was an aggressive attack, however, the building was well entrenched with fire and companies were then pulled out," he said.
Multiple pets died in the fire, officials said.
Sean Rustad, who lived in the home, said he lost his 9-year-old dog, Loco, and a cat.
"Anything that was alive in the building ... didn't make it, that's kind of how they put it," he said.
Rustad says he'll always remember Loco, whom he described as energetic and puppy-like.
"Always looked like he was happy," Rustad said, "like he had a smile on his face."
