LITTLETON, Colo. — Six people were injured in a house fire on South Broadway in Littleton Sunday morning, according to South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR).
SMFR tweeted at 10:52 a.m. that they responded to a house fire at 5939 S. Broadway.
Eight people were inside the home at the time of the explosion that preceded the fire. SMFR said six of them were taken to the hospital, but all are expected to be OK.
Firefighters found the fire in the basement of the home, according to SMFR.
The family was visiting from out of town, and was renting the home on Airbnb. They told fire investigators they smelled gas prior to the explosion.
“They started smelling some gas and it kind of got them concerned. So that’s when they started looking more into it, but that’s when they reported hearing this explosion,” said Connor Christian, public information officer with South Metro Fire Rescue. “I did speak to a person that was in the home and he felt the home actually move when he reported hearing this explosion and then the fire.”
Neighbors also reported smelling gas in the area. Cesar Cabrera lives a few doors down and said he smelled natural gas.
“Smelling that now, it makes you kind of cautious. It makes you want to take precautions if you ever do smell it again. We don’t want that happening to us,” Cabrera said.
Xcel Energy was also on scene investigating.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Latest from 9NEWS