A reported explosion tore through a home on Evans Road in Harlem Township on Tuesday, leaving the structure fully engulfed in flames and its occupant hospitalized with burn injuries. Firefighters pulled the home's dogs out safely, and the State Fire Marshal's office is now working to figure out what happened.
Emergency crews were sent to the Delaware County scene after the reported blast, according to WSYX. A 911 caller reported that the occupant was in the shower when the house exploded, with that detail attributed to the Harlem Township Division of Fire. By the time firefighters arrived, they found the structure fully engulfed.
Escape to a Neighbor's Door
The person managed to reach a neighbor's home to get help, the station's report says. Delaware County EMS then rushed the victim to the hospital with burn injuries. The occupant's identity and current condition have not been made public.
Crews also got the dogs out of the burning house, removing them from the home safely. It's the one bright spot in an otherwise harrowing scene.
Cause Still Unknown
The State Fire Marshal's office is investigating the cause of the fire, per the same report. What caused the reported explosion has not been established, and no official has said what triggered it.
Nearly a dozen agencies assisted at the scene, the report notes, though it does not list them. The Ohio Department of Commerce says the state's Fire and Explosion Investigations Bureau looks into the origin and cause of fires and explosions, and helps local fire and law enforcement agencies with arson-related and other criminal investigations.
