One man was critically injured Tuesday morning in an explosion at a home on the corner of Southwest 34th Street and 102nd Avenue in Westchester.
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A witness told NBC 6's Steve Litz that she heard a loud boom and a few minutes later she saw fire in the home's back yard.
The blast sent 40-year-old Abel Mesa, the home's owner, into the backyard. He was airlifted to the burn unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital with severe burns.
Investigators at the scene initially thought the blast was likely caused by a gas explosion. But a few hours later, they began pulling pot plants out of the home.
"Due to the chemicals that they use and the amount of power, it can be very dangerous," said Miami-Dade Police Spokesman Carlos Maura.
Neighbor Thomas Luzuriaga told NBC 6 he was surprised to hear the news. "It's a quiet neighborhood," he said
"I got real scared because I didn't know what it was," Kevin Gutierrez, an area resident, said. "I thought a bomb exploded or something. We came over to the house and saw all the flames."
Police officers found a second person a few blocks away from the home who also had minor injuries. Officers were questioning that person.
From Chopper 6 overhead, it appeared that at least one-third of the home's roof had collapsed. The flames spread to a tiki hut in the backyard.
"While fighting this fire, the carport roof collapsed behind fire crews, leaving a narrow escape route," said Lt. Elkin Sierra of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. "So far, we have a total of two injuries -- one critical. No firefighters were injured."
Investigators said residents reported a strong smell of propane gas before the explosion. The investigation continues.
"We can't say accurately how it exploded, but a witness did say he smelled propane prior to the explosion," Sierra said. "We are not sure if there was a gas leak or a separate propane thing."
No firefighters were injured.
