San Diego

Booming Explosion During House Fire Rattles Neighbors in Lemon Grove

Neighbors said they felt and heard an explosion come from a house that was on fire Wednesday in Lemon Grove.

Heartland Fire & Rescue Department crews were called to the burning home on the 1700 block of Dupont Circle off Imperial Avenue and Canton Drive just before 4 p.m.

They arrived to find flames inside and smoke billowing out of a single-story home.

A neighbor told NBC 7 there was at least one large explosion strong enough to knock them to the ground.

"It put us on the ground, so it was a very major explosion," Jonathan Hendrix said. "When it went off we looked up and there was just a propane tank or something just flying straight in the air."

Hendrix was worried the object would hit someone or something on its way down, but thankfully it didn't.

Hendrix said he ran to his neighbor's door when he noticed the flames and got two people who were inside to safety. No injuries were reported but the home sustained major damage.

"It sucks when you lose your property," he said. "Thank God nobody's life was lost and, you know, they're just gonna have to deal with it."

A cat was found inside and successfully resuscitated by firefighters, a fire department spokesperson said.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department Bomb/Arson team was called to the home to assist in the ongoing investigation. The cause of the fire is still undetermined.

No other information was available.

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