Calif. Explosion Kills Two; Another Critically Injured
Two men died and another was severely injured in a explosion early Thursday at a Pasadena residence that may have been serving as a boarding home, according to city authorities.
At 2:15 a.m. Pasadena firefighters took a report of an explosion at a home at 1385 El Sereno Ave. near Washington Boulevard.
They arrived to find heavy smoke and fire, according to Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian. It took firefighters about 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze, she said.
Two males were found to be deceased, and a third was rushed to a local hospital and then Grossman Burn Center in West Hills with critical injuries. Sixteen other residents were taken to the Jackie Robinson Center to be sheltered, and were later allowed to return to the home briefly to pick up their medications and personal possessions, Derderian said.
Pasadena police cordoned off the building and declared it a crime scene after the residents were evacuated. Police leter arrived at the Jackie Robinson Center to interview some of those who had been displaced.
Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez said Thursday morning that police were involved as a "precautionary measure."
"We're not sure if there is anything suspicious associated with the incident," Sanchez said. "Our officers are out there at liaisons at this point."
One of the residents, who declined to give his name, said that around the time of the explosion, "I heard some rumbling, something that sounded like a brawl."
He said the two residents who died plus the one in critical condition are "three real nice people who would give you the shirt off their backs."
Perry Simons, the man who was injured in the fire, was in "serious but stable" condition Thursday afternoon at the Grossman Burn Center facility in West Hills, according to Grossman spokeswoman Cathy Butter.
Derderian said the cause of the explosion and fire is still under investigation, and city officails were working to determine if the home was licensed as a board-and-care facility.
A Los Angeles County Coroner's spokesman said Thursday morning that the agency has not yet determined the identities of the victims.
Alex Rose, a disaster action team coordinator for the Red Cross, said the agency is working on finding a more permanent shelter for the men displaced by the incident.
Copyright 2012 - Pasadena Sun, Calif.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service