Cigarette Touches Off Explosion in House
A man was burned on his hands and face but managed to walk out of a North Hollywood house that exploded Tuesday when leaking natural gas ignited, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported.
Raston Toca, 36, was in stable condition with first- and second-degree burns at AMI Medical Center of North Hollywood after the 10:40 a.m. blast that heavily damaged the single-family home in the 5900 block of Colfax Avenue.
Battalion Chief Robert MacMillan said the empty house had recently been purchased and Toca was doing minor repair and remodeling work. He said Toca apparently ignited a large accumulation of natural gas when he lit a cigarette.
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