A family is safe but forced from their home following an explosion at their apartment complex Monday afternoon.
West Metro Fire Rescue says it received numerous 911 calls just before 5 p.m. from tenants at a complex near 17th and Robb Street, all reporting hearing a loud boom. Responding firefighters found one apartment with substantial damage.
“The family was inside at the time; one person suffered minor injuries,” the fire department said in a social media post. “The explosion blew out the back patio door, shattered a second-floor window, and lifted the roof approximately an inch and a half. Due to the structural damage, the home is unsafe to occupy.”
West Metro Fire Rescue posted on social media late Monday night the cause of the explosion. Fire officials said the explosion was accidental and was ignited by a cigarette lighter used in a basement storage room.
Fire officials said investigators identified three possible sources for the natural gas involved, including the home’s furnace, water heater or a broken underground natural gas line outside the townhome. Fire officials said the explosion caused about $170,000 in damage and displaced the family living in that unit.
