A southwest Miami-Dade neighborhood was jolted awake Saturday morning when a loud explosion tore through a mobile home near the intersection of Southwest 102nd Avenue and Southwest 174th Terrace. Within moments, flames were shooting into the air, scorching nearby trees and brush before firefighters could get the upper hand. Residents said the people who lived in the trailer managed to escape without injury.
According to WSVN, neighbors first heard what sounded like a big blast, then saw the fire raging. One neighbor, Roman Lloyd, told the outlet, "My sister, she was in her backyard, and all of a sudden she heard a boom. She came outside it was on fire, flames in the air, the trees catching on fire." Firefighters eventually knocked down the blaze, but WSVN reported the single-wide trailer was destroyed and the cause of the blast is still unknown.
Cause And Investigation
Officials have not said what might have triggered the explosion, and the investigation is ongoing. For an incident like this, investigators typically zero in on likely ignition sources such as electrical systems, heating equipment and cooking appliances, though nothing has been confirmed in this case.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue notes that mobile homes can burn faster than traditional houses and urges residents to keep working smoke alarms in every unit, schedule routine safety checks and practice a home escape plan.
Recent Blasts In Southwest County
The fiery scene comes on the heels of other high-profile explosions and fires in the southwest part of the county. On June 15, an explosion at a county maintenance yard left one person dead and four others injured and brought in the state fire marshal along with Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office investigators, according to CBS Miami. Authorities have not suggested any connection between that deadly incident and this weekend's mobile home blast, but neighbors say the recent run of emergencies has people across several nearby neighborhoods feeling uneasy.
Residents here said they were rattled by the explosion yet grateful no one was hurt. Officials are asking anyone who captured video or has information about the incident to contact local authorities. In the meantime, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue is again urging people living in manufactured and mobile homes to test and maintain their smoke alarms and to make sure everyone in the household knows exactly how to get out quickly if a fire breaks out, in line with its safety guidance.
