Explosive house fire in North Surrey sends 2 to hospital

Surrey, B.C. -

An investigation is underway in North Surrey after an explosive house fire.

The flames were massive, completely consuming the home, and sending two people to hospital.

The fire erupted just before nine Thursday night at a home in a cul-de-sac on Iona Place near 123A Street, according to officials.

Nearby residents say the explosion was so loud it shook houses a block away.

“We felt a loud explosion and the whole house was shaking. So then we inspected the outside of the house, we realized it’s not my own house,” said Harpinder Sandhu, a neighbour. “Then we went outside to them and all the neighbors are outside, and they also thought that something happened to their house, like a truck crashed into their house.”

Sandhu says that’s when he noticed the massive fire about a block away.

“When I first saw it, it was a massive firebomb. It was just absolutely just all yellow. Like the whole roof of the house was missing by then already, and all you saw was the front facade of the house,” said Sandhu.

Dozens of firefighters responded, forced to keep their distance due to the explosions.

“There was explosions heard when the crews were on scene. We are just starting an investigation now to see what exactly exploded,” said Assistant Chief Shelley Morris of the Surrey Fire Service.

Charlie Ali lives a few doors down from the fire and says the explosion rocked his living room.

“Explosion like a bomb. Something that's like ‘Boom!’” He described to CTV News.

“I had all sorts of stuff on my fireplace. They all fell off, sort of, the glass was broken. I’ve never heard that. I thought it was a bomb came out you know. My son said ‘Oh, must be a bomb somewhere.’ And next thing came out and we see … flames start coming back of the garage,” said Ali.

He says the flames were intense and he was concerned that they may damage other homes.

“I was worried because I'm standing in the front door there I can feel the heat,” said Ali.

Firefighters were able to stop it from spreading using a ladder truck.

“Crews concentrated on, they surrounded and drowned it and then made sure that the house on either side did not succumb to the flames as well,” said Morris.

Two people were taken to hospital, but are expected to recover.

CTV News spoke to the victims’ family, which said four people were living in the house, including an 87-year-old grandmother.

She had just had a hip replacement so escaping the fire was difficult.

The fire investigator was on scene overnight, but has yet to provide an official cause.

It was extremely stormy leading up to the fire and neighbours believe a tree may have fallen on the house.

The family suspects the explosions were propane tanks, but no word yet on how they were ignited.