Explosion and Fire Destroy House
An explosion and fire destroyed a Thousand Oaks house Tuesday night and rattled the nerves of neighbors, but no major injuries were reported, fire officials said.
The blast, which sent garage doors flying across the street, occurred shortly after 8 p.m. at the house in the 100 block of Colt Lane, said county firefighter Jules Griggs. A woman inside the house suffered no serious injuries, he said.
Neighbors said they were startled by the intensity of the blast.
“It sounded like a cross between a sonic boom and an earthquake. . . . The house literally just blew up,” said Arthur Jokela, who lives next door. “You can see garage doors all over the street.”
Peggy Clifford, who lives in the area, said that the owner of the house had been renovating the two-story structure in the quiet, rural neighborhood.
“It was just getting to look nice, and then this happened,” Clifford said. “This is so sad.”
Griggs said it took 30 firefighters about half an hour to contain the blaze. He said the cause of the explosion was under investigation.
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