UPDATE: Four escape from apartment building after explosion in Lincoln
Posted By: Bayley Bischof
bbischof@klkntv.com
Four people are without a home after an explosion inside an apartment building at 29th and O.
Residents inside said they heard an explosion in the basement at 6:00 a.m. Wednesday, ran outside and are thankful to have escaped with their lives.
Neighbors said they heard, and felt, the explosion from blocks away.
Ausjaron Baxter said the foundation of his house shook.
"The bricks flew off the wall,” Alyas Brown said.
Deaundre Coleman said the sound made him afraid to leave his room.
The four people inside all made it out safely and uninjured, but the home is a total loss.
"I know the guy who lives in the basement he works at the gas station up the street, it’s just devastating,” Heather Talbot, a neighbor said.
But this explosion proved to be a tough battle for firefighters because of the extensive damage.
"We did pull all the crews out and went defensive because the possible collapse and we didn’t want to have anyone injured,” Dave Engler, battalion chief for Lincoln Fire and Rescue said.
Fire fighters were on the scene for hours after and will likely be there until Thursday morning monitoring hotspots because the fire couldn’t be entirely extinguished from the outside.
"We’re not going in so we’re shooting water from the outside,” Engler said.
The damage also makes things difficult, and dangerous, for fire investigators, Tom Schmidt, fire investigator said.
They’ve done all they can from outside, Schmidt said. But that hasn’t shed light on what happened and they need to get inside.
"We have to bring in heavy equipment to remove part of the unsafe area so we can get inside,” Schmidt said.
They haven’t ruled out natural gas as a cause, he said.
Black Hills Energy and State Fire Marhsalls were at the scene.
"The gas line from the outside up to the meter was tested and is fine,” Schmidt said. “So now the emphasis will be from the meter into the inside of the house."
The investigators will be back Thursday morning when they can hopefully get a better look inside.
For now, they’re thankful the residents got out okay.
The Red Cross was there helping them find places to stay since the home is uninhabitable.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE: Fire crews say an explosion ignited the fire in an apartment complex at 29th & N St. at 6:05 a.m.
No injuries were reported and everyone in the building evacuated safely.
LFR says they have not been able to contain the fire from the inside because the building isn’t stable because of the explosion and fire. Crews tell Channel 8 Eyewitness News they may have to stay at the home through tomorrow to monitor hotspots.
A cause is currently unknown because they can’t enter the home.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Fire crews are at the scene of a home explosion and fire in Lincoln early Wednesday morning.
"We did pull all the crews out and went defensive because the possible collapse and we didn’t want to have anyone injured," said Battalion Chief Dave Engler.
Firefighters worked to contain the blaze and finally set up an aerial hose to douse the flames that kept springing up in the attic.
Neighbors say they heard and felt the explosion from several houses down.
"I heard a big boom it shook the whole wall and the window shakes, I was afraid to come out of my room cause I thought someone broke into my house. I woke my mom up and ran outside cause I thought someone was playing around, we came outside and the house is on fire," said DeAundre Coleman, who lives a few houses down.
Debris was strewn all across the road and sidewalk across the street.
Fire inspectors are still working to determine the cause of the explosion.
Lincoln Fire and Rescue and Lincoln Police are responding to a reported explosion near 29th and O Streets.
The call came in just after 6 a.m.
This is a developing story. A reporter with Channel 8 is on the scene.
