Mystery Explosion At Richmond Home Injures Resident
RICHMOND (CBS SF) - A man who was injured when his Richmond home exploded early Tuesday morning has been released from the hospital, a fire official said.
The man was treated for burns to his ears and face and cuts on his legs from glass shards that struck him during the explosion at his home in the 3800 block of Ohio Avenue, Richmond fire Battalion Chief Merlin Turner said.
Two sides of the one story home were blown open, and the street outside the house was carpeted with glass.
Turner said fire investigators have yet to determine the cause of the blast, which occurred around 2:20 a.m. The explosion shook the house to its foundation and caused the residents and many neighbors to believe an earthquake had struck.
"There were chemicals there, including propane ... we're having everything analyzed," Turner said. "It's quite unusual."
Two other men—one who was living at the home and the other who was visiting—suffered singed hair and brows but refused medical treatment.
Richmond police Lt. Shawn Pickett said earlier Tuesday morning that the explosion appeared to be accidental and does not seem to have been PG&E-related.
Richmond Fire Department Capt. Dane Poteet said that they found no sign of a gas leak when they arrived at the home, and there was nothing suspicious inside. PG&E was investigating, but the homeowner said he didn't smell any gas before the blast.
KCBS' Holly Quan Reports:
"The two that were in the back of the house, that appears to be where there's the most damage to the house, and that's where we found the person that had the injury," said Poteet. "For his injuries to be as minor as they were is pretty remarkable."
He said investigators were also trying to figure out why the explosion caused almost no fire, leaving just a small burnt patch at the back of the house.
No other homes were affected by the blast and no one was evacuated.
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