Investigators found no evidence a gas leak caused the explosion at the Valley Glen home late Sunday that sent two men to the hospital and resulted in evacuations, officials said Monday.
They also found no signs it was caused by a THC extraction lab, but there was evidence of marijuana being grown in the garage area, and that is part of the investigation, the Los Angeles Fire Department tweeted.
When firefighters first arrived at the scene just before 9:30 p.m. in the 12700 block of West Archwood Street, they found no active fire but clear signs of a “significant explosion,” LAFD Capt. Erik Scott said.
Crews saw a 59-year-old man outside the home and transported him to a hospital with critical burn injuries.
“Firefighters then detected the smell of natural gas and worked to locate and secure the leak,” Scott said.
At the same time, crews were systematically searching the house in shoulder-deep debris. That’s when they heard a “faint tapping noise,” the captain said.
They started pulling away the debris and found a 46-year-old man buried deep in the rubble.
They used a chainsaw to carefully remove the debris around him, then pulled him to safety before taking him to a hospital.
There were seven residents living in the home at the time. The other five — a man, woman and three children — were not injured.
Another woman, a neighbor, was medically evaluated at the scene but she declined transport to the hospital.
The home was red-tagged by Department of Building and Safety, officials said.
A total of 13 homes surrounding the explosion site had to be evacuated, including seven that sustained damage from the debris.
On Monday, debris could be seen littering the street surrounding the badly damaged home.
Aerial video from Sky5 showed the wreckage stretching beyond the home, including a garage door which was apparently thrown three houses away and pieces from the home in trees.
The Los Angeles Police Department will lead the invesigation ito the explosion, with LAFD arson investigators helping.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation and no further details were available.