A quiet night in West Park turned into a scene of destruction when a house exploded, injuring four people, including two kids, early Tuesday morning. According to Local 10, the blast which sent debris strewn across the neighborhood, is suspected to be the result of a gas explosion. Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Michael Kane described a "fiery mushroom cloud," but upon firefighters' arrival, the blaze had already subsided.
Residents in nearby Pembroke Park, Hollywood, and northern Miami-Dade County reported the sound of a large bang and feeling their homes shake from the force of the explosion. West Park Commissioner Joy Smith, living a few blocks away, recounted the terror of the night, "I was so scared I thought a bomb was dropped here," she told Local 10. The event not only shattered the home at 5241 SW 20 St. but also led to the red-tagging of two adjacent properties and one across the street, marking them as unsafe.
The owner of the home, Renes Ledix, spoke with NBC 6 in the aftermath. His family was inside the house during the explosion, "When I see the situation, I was thinking maybe all of them gone,” Ledix expressed his initial horror. Some of his family members are dealing with severe burns, and while a young boy has been released from the hospital, others continue to fight for their recovery at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center and Memorial Regional Hospital.
The investigation by the State Fire Marshal is ongoing, but early suspicions from the fire department suggest it was a propane gas leak that set off the explosion. “We just know that the explosion was caused by some type of gas," Chief Kane said, although the homeowner refuted using gas in his house. Despite, the devastation, community response has been swift, with a GoFundMe page established for one of the affected neighboring families to assist with their sudden financial burden.
The area around 52 Avenue and 20 Street remains closed off as deputies maintain the scene for continued investigation. The Red Cross has stepped in to aid six people displaced from the unsafe homes. With the community reeling from the shock, detectives urge anyone with information about the explosion to reach out to Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.
