MERIDIAN, Idaho — A loud explosion rocked a Meridian neighborhood Monday evening, displacing a family of four from their home and sending debris flying. At about 5:30 p.m., neighbors reported hearing a loud blast and immediately rushed to help as flames engulfed the home.
"The house just exploded super loud," said Brent Peterson
"We got a call for a reported structure fire, and we arrived on the scene to find the house fully involved with flames. Subsequently, we found out that there was an explosion. That's under investigation right now, but we believe it to be gas-related," said Meridian Fire Deputy Chief Jordan Reese.
Four family members, including their pets, were inside the home at the time of the explosion but were able to escape safely. According to witnesses, some neighbors acted quickly to ensure everyone made it out before the flames took over the house.
"Flames started coming up. I just pulled out my phone dialed 911," said Brent Peterson, who had been working nearby when the explosion happened. He then went in to make sure everyone was okay and helped a boy out of the house.
Another front-door neighbor tells me his son also went in helping one of the boys that was upstairs out while he called 911 immediately.
"There's a lot of neighbors out here, who’ve been helping out, helping with the family, any incident there’s always some unsung heroes. So we don’t always get to hear those stories, but we sure appreciate their help," said a local resident.
As for the displaced family, the department’s burn-out fund has them in a hotel while they wait for the next steps. Firefighters continued to clean up the debris and assess the damage, as neighboring homes also suffered shattered windows from the blast.
"Because of the explosive nature of the fire, there’s a debris thrown in lots of different directions. Just a lot of work to do to make sure that it doesn’t catch back on fire and then the investigators will come in and start to do their work," said Deputy Reese
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, though authorities suspect it may be gas-related.
