Explosion destroys Victorville home; 40-year-old woman seriously injured

A 40-year-old woman was seriously injured in an explosion that destroyed a Victorville home early Wednesday, city officials said.

Around 3 a.m., the Victorville Fire Department began receiving reports of an explosion and a fire at a home in the 14900 block of Adalane Court, city spokesperson Sue Jones said.

A Victorville police patrol officer heard the explosion and drove to the scene, finding a 40-year-old woman who was able to make it outside the house, police officials said. She was alone in the house at the time of the explosion.

The woman was flown to a nearby hospital and was in critical but stable condition as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

The explosion "leveled" the home, Jones said, and fire crews spent about three hours putting out the resulting fire. The cause of the incident is under investigation.

Southwest Gas Corp. crews found no gas leaks after inspecting the site of the explosion and the surrounding area, the company said, noting that a contractor conducting "periodic routine leak inspection" last month also found no leaks.

"Safety is our top priority and our crews have turned gas off to the impacted residences and worked with first responders to ensure the area is safe and secure," Southwest Gas said in a statement.

Footage captured by KTLA-TV Channel 5 showed the charred and splintered wreckage of the home surrounding a blackened crater, with a vehicle in the driveway and debris strewn onto adjacent homes and yards.

Jones said the explosion sent debris as far as a block away. No other injuries were reported, but at least two homes adjacent to the explosion were damaged and red-tagged, displacing four residents.

The city will be offering debris removal and structural inspections for nearby homes, Jones said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.