Fire marshal recalls house explosion in Elizabeth that injured 4: "It took us a good two to three hours to put the fire out"

Four occupants of a home near Flicker Trail and CR-21, just East of Elizabeth, are very lucky to be alive after a house exploded and collapsed while they were sleeping inside. The blast occurred around 5 a.m. on Sunday, jolting neighbors awake. 

A couple living across the street, shaken by the explosion, heard screaming and aided the four injured after climbing out of the debris before Elizabeth Fire Rescue arrived. 

Authorities say a second explosion then occurred, starting a fire that eventually consumed the remains of the home.

Elizabeth Fire Marshall, Kara Gerczynski, says the flames were huge.

"We had flames 40 feet in the air, if you look behind me a lot of the trees were torched to the top," Gerczynski said.

It was a long morning for Elizabeth Fire after arriving at the scene as breached gas lines continued to fuel the fire making it difficult to fight.

"It took us a good two to three hours to put the fire out," Gerczynski said. 

Officials say a large glow about three miles out made the fire obvious.

What made it even more frightening, the four people inside the home were all asleep at the time of the explosion. But they got lucky.

"They were sleeping in various parts of the house …they were able to after the explosion climb their way out and get out of the house before the fire started," Gerczynski said. 

Only two were transported to a hospital in an ambulance.  All were said to have just cuts and scrapes.

The fire marshal expressed she was surprised.

"I was shocked to see them … very much in shock but walking around and still able to talk and act fairly normal compared to what they were just through," Gerczynski said.

The home is a total loss. Members of the Arapahoe Rescue Patrol are assisting in keeping watch over the property while the investigation into the cause of the explosion continues.