Two people died when a large amount of “commercial-grade” fireworks inside a home in Southern California set off a major explosion on Tuesday, leading to evacuations from the surrounding area, officials said.
The eruption occurred around 12:30 pm local time in Ontario, a suburb of San Bernardino, sending a large cloud of smoke into the air in the middle of a residential neighborhood. At least one other house was on fire, as well as several other structures, KABC-TV reported.
Evacuation orders have been issued to the immediate area, the Ontario Fire Department said. Those in need of assistance were referred to a temporary reception center.
“They are of commercial quality,” Ontario Fire Department chief Ray Gayk said at a news conference, “as you would normally see at a fireworks show,” reported the Los Angeles Times.
THE ETERNAL MOUNT OF ITALY SEES SPECTACULAR EXPLOSION IN THE LAST ERUPTION
Other minor injuries have been reported.
The two people who died were “in the blast and fire area,” said Gayk, according to FOX 11 in Los Angeles.
The scene showed that the house appeared to be a farm-type property, according to media reports. A video showed firefighters rescuing a horse from a burning structure.
The blast can be seen from up to Anaheim – about 30 miles away – as smoke filled the air, according to the video of the incident posted online.
The fireworks caused a fire in two houses on the property, according to the Times.
“The roof is destroyed, burned,” city spokesman Dan Bell said of the structure at the rear of the property. “The one in front – I was on the street; I could see the flames rising from the roof. Most likely it will be a total loss.”
GEORGIA’S MASSAGE HALLS TRANSFORMED IN WAR ZONES AS THE POLICE DEVELOP DEAD SHOOTING SCENES
Witnesses said they heard “loud bangs” before they saw the smoke, FOX 11 reported. Others said that some windows in nearby houses were broken.
Neighbor Jennifer Nalbandian told the Times that the explosion looked like an earthquake. She opened the front door afterwards. “The crash pushed me back and the window crashed,” she said. “I was hit by the explosion when I opened the door.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Some neighbors said that people who live in the house tend to set off fireworks around midnight.
“They always display them, sometimes at random, like at night shows or on a holiday,” neighbor Oscar Vargas Ibarra, 17, told the Times. He said he had no idea that they had such powerful fireworks.
In a tweet, the city warned people to stay away from nearby areas.
The incident is being investigated by several agencies, including the FBI.