Chino Hills home exploded due to gas leak, firefighters say
A Chino Hills home that exploded on Sunday and left eight people hospitalized was caused by a gas leak, firefighters say.
In a news release issued by the Chino Valley Independent Fire District, firefighters disclosed that though they determined a cause of the explosion and fire, they have yet to locate the source of the leak.
The incident happened on Sunday, Nov. 16, at around 3:45 p.m. at a home in the 4200 block of Sierra Vista Drive. Eight people were inside the home when the explosion occurred, each of whom was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, firefighters said at the time. The ages of the victims still haven't been disclosed, but some children were among those hospitalized, firefighters told CBS Los Angeles.
Crews said that the home suffered major damage in the blast, while five others were also damaged.
Investigators had been working around the clock to determine what caused the explosion, which led some residents to avoid returning to their homes due to the potential danger. Sixteen homes were initially evacuated on Sunday as the investigation got underway, but residents were able to return later that night.
On Monday, SoCalGas had shut off a dozen customer meters in the neighborhood as a precaution while they looked into the cause.
Video from the scene showed scattered debris in the moments following the explosion. An aerial look showed that a portion of the roof of the home appeared to have blown off, while the garage door flew across the street from the force of the blast.
