WESTMINSTER, Colo. — It was a typical Wednesday afternoon for Jenny Eastman. She left her townhome in the Stratus Townhomes in Westminster right around 1:30 p.m. to get into her car and pick up her son from high school. Seconds later, typical ended and surreal began.
With absolutely no warning, the apartment right in front of Eastman exploded and then caught fire.
"It was just terrifying," Eastman said while choking back tears. "The whole side of the building just blew; it was insane. All at once it was just, boom, and then no wall."
>The video below shows the moment of the explosion at Stratus Townhomes on Feb. 23, 2022.
Eastman said she tried getting closer to see if anyone was hurt, but the fire started so she went back to her apartment, rounded up her two dogs and drove off in her car, with a windshield shattered by the blast.
"You don't really think explosions like that happen in real life until you see it," Eastman said.
Remarkably, the explosion and fire caused only minor injuries to three people, two residents and a firefighter. Forty-one people from eight townhomes are now out of their homes. Eastman's unit was one of several in the complex that were evacuated as a precaution. She and her family stayed with friends for the night.
They returned home on Thursday, still very much shaken.
"It was quiet, it was normal, and then utter chaos," Eastman said. "It's still something I have trouble wrapping my head around without getting physically upset."
The Westminster Fire Department said the cause of the explosion is still under investigation, as is the cause of a house explosion in Westminster early Tuesday morning. Police have said the two explosions are not connected.
Photos show aftermath of explosion that destroyed Westminster townhomes
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