KTLA

Natural gas explosion rocks Signal Hill building

Authorities were at the scene of a natural gas explosion at a Signal Hill structure Thursday evening.

The explosion at the two-story home located at 2100 N. Ohio Ave. was first reported at 4:24 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.


All occupants were outside when fire crews responded, and there was a small fire on the first floor which crews put out, the department said.

Two people had minor injuries and were transported to a local hospital.

Aerial video from Sky5 showed the many windows and glass doors of the building apparently blown out.

There was minor damage to an adjacent home but no one was inside at the time, the fire department said. Authorities evacuated an apartment complex nearby as crew evaluated the situation.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation, and Southern California Edison and the local gas company were looking into it.

The address of the structure was listed as the location for Barot Bros Fitness, a personal training business.

Lambert Alcendor told KTLA that his brother and mother were the ones hurt in the incident.

“They’re really blessed to walk away from something like that,” he said, adding that neighbors told him it felt like an earthquake.