NEW SHARON, Iowa --
An explosion destroyed a home in New Sharon late Sunday afternoon. Luckily, the family was on a shopping trip and wasn't home when the house exploded.
The explosion in the two-story house at 408 W. Market Street partially collapsed the second story. Part of a first-story wall also collapsed. Neighbors heard the loud explosion and ran to the house to make sure no one was home. A small fire then grew into a large fire which further damaged the structure.
Neighbors say the family's dog was blown clear of the wreckage and was found wandering around the neighborhood.
Heat from the explosion and fire was so intense that the siding curled up on a neighbor's home about 150 feet away. Debris from the home was strewn as much as a block away.
Firefighters say the home is a total loss.
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