TOLEDO, Ohio — A south Toledo house exploded Monday evening, leaving at least one person with minor injuries.
The house, located on the 1600 block of Western Avenue near Champion Street, was believed to be vacant at the time, Toledo Fire and Rescue Department Interim Fire Chief John Kaminski said.
"The house that did explode is a vacant structure. As we peel it away, we will make sure that it wasn't somebody that was staying in there, in the vacant structure; we'll make sure we do that," he said.
Debris could be seen scattered across the property. Authorities said Monday night that Western would be shut down indefinitely.
Witnesses reported hearing the explosion around 7 p.m., with some saying the noise was so loud, it shook neighboring homes. One house next door was reportedly pierced from the blast.
Crews from Columbia Gas and Toledo Edison joined Toledo Fire and Rescue on the scene, conducting gas utility checks on homes in the area.
Though neighbors were shaken up, at least one witness said they were glad any injuries were reported to be relatively minor.
"Look at that. The lord spared their life," Myra G. Love, who identified herself as the victim's sister, said.
This is a developing story. Stay with WTOL 11 for updates.