House engulfed after blast heard in Xenia

UPDATE @ 7:35 p.m.:

Four people were injured in a blast tonight that shook a house off its foundation and sparked a massive fire.

Crews were called at 5:10 p.m. to a single-story house in the 500 block of East Second Street.

Initially, it was reported as a house explosion with people trapped inside, but when crews arrived all occupants were out and there was heavy fire and smoke, said Capt. Jason Kinley of the Xenia Fire Department.

Three people were taken to local hospitals, including two children, and a fourth person injured refused to be taken to the hospital, Kinley said.

“Nobody has any type of life-threatening injury,” he said.

All potential sources of the explosion are being investigated by fire officials and law enforcement. Vectren was on scene checking to see whether natural gas played a role, and the state fire marshal’s office has been contacted, Kinley said.

“There was some type of event that caused the house to shift off its foundation, that caused structural damage inside the home and that caused heavy fire and smoke, so it leads us to believe it was some type of explosion that sparked this fire,” Kinley said.

Although the source of the blast remains under investigation, Kinley did rule out cigarette smoking near oxygen that was speculated by a family member.

“This wasn’t caused by somebody smoking by an oxygen tank,” he said. “That might cause someone to have increased fire, but not this type of explosion.”

UPDATE @ 5:53 p.m.:

A family member says there was an oxygen tank inside the home, and speculated that someone inside may have lit a cigarette. However, this has not been confirmed by fire officials at the scene.

At least one person was taken to a hospital to be evaluated, and a child’s hair was singed during the blast. It is not clear how many people were inside the house at the time of the explosion.

UPDATE @ 5:46 p.m.:

Heavy smoke can still be seen in the area of the fire on East Second Street.

UPDATE @ 5:39 p.m.:

An explosion was confirmed at an East Second Street house that caught fire tonight.

A medic has been called to the scene, but it was not believed any injuries had been reported, according to a Greene County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher.

Xenia firefighters are on scene, and crews from Spring Valley Twp. and Cedarville Twp. also were called, the sheriff’s office said.

Crews from Vectron and Dayton Power & Light Co. also were called to the scene.

FIRST REPORT

A house burst into flames this evening after an explosion.

Fire crews were called just before 5:15 p.m. to a house in the 300 block of East Second Street.

The single-story residence was engulfed after the blast was heard. All occupants were able to get out safely, according to initial reports.

We are on the scene and will update this report as we learn details.