DENVER — A natural gas explosion is the suspected cause of a blast that heavily damaged a residential fourplex in Denver Thursday evening, the Denver Fire Department said.
Fire Capt. JD Chism said the person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Everyone else was able to get out safely.
Firefighters said one dog was killed in the explosion. Another dog was rescued from the building.
The explosion happened just after 6 p.m. at a residential building on South Lincoln Street near the intersection with Virginia Avenue, in the West Washington Park neighborhood near Baker. Chism said the building to the south of the fourplex also sustained some damage.
Firefighters are working to determine the cause but said at this point they suspect it was a natural gas explosion.
Chism said Xcel crews shut off gas and electric service to the property and surrounding properties. Firefighters were checking nearby buildings to ensure there was no gas or other hazards.
"Our thoughts are with those impacted by today’s event. We’re working with the local fire department to determine the cause," said Xcel in statement to 9NEWS. "We’ve turned off natural gas to customers in the area. Once all safety checks are completed, service will be restored. We will continue working with authorities on this investigation."
David Wilson and Lynn DeJohn were out to dinner at Blue Bonnet on Broadway, one block behind the explosion when it happened.
"We felt it in the chest, the ground vibrated. And we went to the window, and saw a huge cloud saw a huge cloud of dust," Wilson said.
"It was more than hearing it, you literally felt it in your body. Everyone stopped and turned, everything got very quiet, you could see debris rising over building. Then the emergency vehicles, one after another after another," DeJohn added.
Tiffany and Connor DeMestico live nearby.
"Our whole house shook. Our whole street shook. We were really worried, we didn’t know what it was," Tiffany said.
"The door [to the building] was on the other side of the street. Rubble everywhere," Connor added.
"It was pretty scary, I'm not going to lie," Tiffany continued. "I think, a couple streets down, people felt it as well. The whole ... neighborhood, really shook. We weren’t sure what happened."
> The video below aired Sept. 21, 2023:
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