WEST PARK, Fla. — Officials say it was likely gas that triggered a big explosion early Tuesday morning at a house in Broward County's West Park.
The blast littered the lawn with debris and sent a family of four to the hospital with burns, trauma and smoke inhalation, according to reports.
Broward County Fire Rescue was alerted at around 12:30 a.m. as neighbors reported an explosion that could be heard for miles. In fact, the explosion was so loud, that multiple neighbors told CBS Miami that they thought something had exploded in their own homes.
Firefighters and deputies arrived on the scene and found the house had been reduced to rubble, and surrounding homes and cars had been damaged by the explosion.
The neighborhood was full of smoke and debris.
Ultimately, rescuers found the family that had lived in the house — two adults and two children — and sent them to the hospital. The fire chief told NBC 6 in a press conference that the family's injuries range from serious to critical.
Aside from the knowledge that the explosion had to do with "some type of gas," the exact cause is still under investigation. Officials say the fire from the explosion appeared to put itself out, and the incident appears to be isolated.