Bellevue, WA – By KOMO Staff
BELLEVUE – A woman was badly burned when her house exploded in Bellevue Thursday morning, and witnesses say it might have been the result of a natural gas explosion.
The explosion was in the 2600 block of 168th Avenue Southeast near Lake Sammamish in Bellevue.
A neighbor told KOMO 1000 News he was working in his office at his home when he heard a loud explosion, and looked out to his neighbor’s house behind him and saw it just blow apart into a big plume of fire and smoke.
“I (felt a) concussion wave,” he said. “I ran downtown and jumped over the back fence and just as I ran to the house, two people were helping a woman who was badly burned get across the street to safety.”
Fire officials say they took that person to Harborview Medical Center with burn injuries, where she is listed in critical condition.
“The house is just burned to the ground,” the witness continued. “Bellevue fire and rescue responded very quickly, but there was just no chance to put it out; it exploded.”
Witnesses say it was likely the result of a natural gas explosion. Puget Sound Energy has not been able to confirm that, but our witness said:
“Apparently, (according to) the immediate neighbor, the gas company was out investigating that the neighbors smelled gas earlier this morning at 9 o’clock. Just as the gas person was checking out the next door neighbor, is when this other house exploded.”
No other details are available yet.