SALISBURY, N.C. — Eleven firefighters and two other people were injured Monday evening when a house fire in North Carolina’s Piedmont region erupted into an explosion that blew out walls and lifted the roof, officials said.
Salisbury Fire Chief Bob Parnell said none of the firefighters’ injuries were believed to be life-threatening, but they were being treated for contusions, concussions, and smoke inhalation. Two civilians were also taken to a hospital, though Parnell said he did not know their conditions or whether they had been inside the home when the fire broke out.
Crews enter engulfed home before blast
The Salisbury Fire Department was called to the single-family house around 5 p.m. Monday and arrived to find it engulfed in flames.
Parnell said 22 firefighters responded to the scene, and about half of them went inside to search for anyone who might be trapped and to “get water on that fire.” It was during those interior operations that the house exploded.
“It was enough force that the outside walls blew out, the roof came up and went back down,” Parnell told reporters at a news conference. Debris rained down and was thrown outward, injuring firefighters inside and near the structure.
All 11 injured firefighters were quickly pulled out, treated at the scene, and taken for further medical evaluation. Officials said the remaining firefighters shifted to a defensive attack to bring the blaze under control from outside.
Cause of Salisbury, North Carolin, a house explosion is under investigation
Authorities have not yet said what triggered the initial fire or the explosion that followed. The blast caused major structural damage, and investigators from local and state agencies are expected to examine the ruins once the site is safe to enter.
Parnell said the investigation into both the fire and the Salisbury, North Carolina, house explosion is ongoing and could take time, given the extent of the destruction.
For now, officials said their focus is on the recovery of the injured firefighters and civilians, and on gathering evidence that may reveal how an ordinary house fire turned into a powerful blast that rocked the neighborhood.
Sources:
The Charlotte Observer / Firehouse – “Eleven Firefighters Hurt in House Explosion in Salisbury, NC”
AP News – “11 firefighters and 2 other people injured after North Carolina house fire and explosion”
