Two dogs were safely rescued after a home explosion in Wellington, Colorado, CBS Colorado reports. On Nov. 15, the Wellington Fire Protection District was dispatched to a two-story house at the 7500 block of Little Fox Lane. Officials confirmed that there were no severe injuries sustained in the blast.
The house suffered substantial damage. In particular, footage from the scene depicted an almost collapsed home, with some missing windows and damage to the garage door.
Additionally, observers noted a minor fire in both the basement and attic areas. Firefighters rapidly extinguished both blazes, revealing “approximately 70% structure damage due to the explosion.”
Larimer County emergency authorities issued an “EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY” alert the same afternoon, closing roads surrounding the blast area. The order was lifted just an hour after it was issued.
After the dogs were rescued with the combined efforts of firefighters and witnesses, they were transported to nearby veterinary hospitals in the area. The dogs sustained burns in the explosion.
Neighbors heard a loud boom
Ashley Gonzales, residing across the street, described her experience of the explosion to 9News. Gonzales stated, “Big boom, a big boom. Didn’t feel as much shaking, but heard a big boom for sure.” Continuing, she added, “It just looked like a bomb went off.”
Isaac Padilla, a resident of a nearby rental property, recalled, “I was in my bedroom, I could see commotion from my window. I heard a loud boom, it did vibrate a bit.”
He elaborated, “I took my headphones off, rushed downstairs to get a better look at things.” It was then that he noticed “The garage door was imploded, the back half of the house was completely destroyed, sliding off into the yard. Windows smashed in, smell of gas in the area.”
Both Gonzales and Padilla agreed that the smell of gas was noticeable.
According to a family friend, a couple — along with their 4-month-old baby and two dogs — had recently relocated to the house, residing there for less than a month. While the family has renters insurance to cover some of the damage, a crowdfunding campaign revealed that they lost all of their belongings.
As of now, the investigation into the official cause of the explosion is still underway.
Wellington lies northeast of Fort Collins, approximately 25 miles south of the Colorado-Wyoming border. The affected home lies on the town’s eastern side, adjacent to Interstate 25.
