JUNE 23, 2014

 

A man was burned and in critical condition early Tuesday after a fire broke out in a garage in West Hills following an explosion the previous night, fire officials said.

Authorities were trying to determine what sparked a fire that left a man critically injured on June 23, 2015. (Credit: Newsreel)

Firefighters responded to a report of a an explosion in the 22900 block of Arminta Street at around 10:10 p.m. on Monday and found the detached garage burning, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

It took 40 firefighters roughly 15 minutes to extinguish the blaze, which did not spread to the residence, a separate LAFD tweet stated.

One male was taken to a hospital in critical condition, according to fire officials.
No firefighters were reported to have been injured.

Neighbor Lloyd Allen reported hearing a “major” explosion before the flames erupted, and that the Fire Department told him a bomb squad was being called out.

“We were told that there was the possibility of other explosions and that they were going to call the bomb squad out,” Allen said.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

An LAFD official at the scene said arson investigators and the Los Angeles Police Department were sifting through the debris to determine how it started.