GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (AP) -- An 84-year-old woman survived with minor injuries after a powerful explosion blew her out the front door and destroyed her house Friday.
Monte Alspaugh was taken to a hospital after a neighbor found her in front of the house and carried her to safety, officials said.
``We heard a big boom,'' said neighbor Robert Amaro, who was hailed as a hero by firefighters. ``I came running out of the house. I looked at the house and it was already falling over to one side.''
Amaro said Alspaugh is a strong woman who is still active in the community. Still, he and officials were impressed that she wasn't seriously hurt.
``After 25 years, I cease to be amazed at how people survive some of the tragedies we see,'' assistant chief of the Grand Prairie Fire Department Mike Sieg told WFAA-TV. ``You look at her age and how she survived, that is beyond all of us.''
Authorities were still investigating the cause of the explosion.
