House Explosion Rocks San Clemente Neighborhood

SAN CLEMENTE, CA — A massive explosion in San Clemente shattered the early morning silence, prompting emergency vehicles to respond to a home on Avenida Dolores on Thursday, Orange County Fire Authority officials said. Neighbors said the 3 a.m. explosion felt like an earthquake.

"It sounded like a bomb went off," one neighbor reported to news crews on scene. "My housemates were saying, 'get out! get out!'"

The explosion and subsequent fire destroyed one residence and partially damaged a neighboring home, OCFA Captain Larry Kurtz said. No one was injured during the incident.

"The explosion was reported at around 3 a.m. at the home in the 100 block of Avenida Dolores, prompting the man and the woman who live there, as well as their two dogs, to leave," Kurtz said. "The blaze, which spread to a home next to it, was knocked down a little more than an hour later by 30 firefighters."

Reports from the scene stated that the residents were sleeping, and had been preparing for a camping trip and were awake at the time of the explosion. The camper, and another car topped with kayaks, were not damaged by the blast, however the keys to both were destroyed in the house fire, according to Kurtz.

A 1964 Porche worth more than $100,000 was destroyed, along with another vehicle, the homeowner told officials. Two other cars, including a work truck and an H3 Hummer parked in the driveway, were also destroyed.

A ruptured gas line was discovered, feeding the subsequent fire. Authorities worked to shut the gas off, but needed to tow the trailer in order to reach the main line. Investigators stayed on scene for hours to determine the exact cause of the initial fire.

The homeowners found one of their dogs, and another dog was reported to be loose in the neighborhood before a reunion took place, Kurtz said.

OCFA Photos