Home explosion in Arlington, Va.: newest updates : NPR

A house is seen exploding from a distance Monday evening in Arlington, Va.

AP

disguise caption

toggle caption

AP

A house is seen exploding from a distance Monday evening in Arlington, Va.

AP

A large explosion leveled a house and rocked a neighborhood in Arlington, Va., on Monday evening as police tried to research a person who shot a flare gun from his residence, officers mentioned.

No severe accidents have been reported, however the destiny of the suspect, who was believed to be inside the home on the time of the explosion, remains to be unclear.

Video posted to social media confirmed the home disappearing below a ball of fireside, lobbing particles into the evening air and sending wreckage raining down onto the suburb of Washington, D.C. Neighbors mentioned the blast could possibly be heard and felt for miles.

Here is an outline of what we all know.

What occurred within the moments main as much as the explosion?

Arlington County police mentioned in an announcement that they have been first known as to the 800 block of N. Burlington Avenue round 4:45 p.m. ET after receiving a report of doable gunshots.

The neighborhood, often known as Bluemont, is in a leafy suburb of Washington D.C., stuffed with brick duplexes, condos and single-family residences.

Throughout a preliminary investigation, police discovered that the suspect had fired a flare gun 30 to 40 instances from inside his residence, a duplex, into the encircling neighborhood.

Officers obtained a search warrant for the home and mentioned they tried to make contact with the suspect by loudspeakers and over the telephone, however he did not initially reply.

As officers tried to execute the warrant, they heard a number of rounds of what they believed to be a firearm coming from inside the house. The explosion got here shortly after, round 8:25 p.m.

Police mentioned the precise circumstances of the explosion are nonetheless below investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives mentioned federal fire agents are assisting the investigation.

Was anybody injured?

Three officers reported minor accidents, however none have been transported to the hospital. It is unclear what occurred to the suspect, who was inside the house when it was leveled. Police have but to launch the suspect’s title or identification.

Police do not have proof that others have been within the duplex on the time of the explosion however have not dominated that out as a risk, a police spokesperson instructed the Related Press.

What did neighbors see and listen to?

Residents might hear and really feel the explosion for miles round Arlington County, the place the typical inhabitants is over 9,000 folks per sq. mile.

Allison Van Lare mentioned she felt the explosion almost 3 miles away, in her neighborhood of Shirlington.

“I heard one thing like air popping, after which the fence began rattling intensely, nearly like a sonic growth,” she instructed NPR.

One native man thought a tree had fallen on his home.

“I used to be sitting in my lounge watching tv and the entire home shook,” Bob Maynes instructed the Related Press. “It wasn’t an earthquake type of tremor, however the entire home shook.”

The explosion additionally attracted the eye of prime Virginia officers stationed as far-off as Richmond.

Virginia Rep. Don Beyer thanked first responders and mentioned he was monitoring the “very, very scary” circumstances.

A fireplace that raged within the explosion’s aftermath was deemed below management as of 10:30 p.m., however crews continued to extinguish smaller spot fires all through the night, in keeping with the Arlington County Fire Department.

Greater than 160 power outages have been initially reported within the space, however that quantity had decreased to 19 as of Tuesday morning.

This can be a creating story. Verify again for updates.