Charleswood house destroyed after fire, explosions

Neighbours reported hearing explosions after a fire started in the garage of a Charleswood house on Thursday.

Emergency crews were called at 12:15 p.m. about a fire at the home on Rannock Avenue.

A man and two dogs were inside the house at the time, but they all got out safe, firefighters said.

Neighbour Jodie Lakusta was letting her dogs out in her backyard when she saw flames and smoke coming from the house. 

"I heard a big explosion. My dogs ran back to the house and Iet them back in and then I heard another explosion shortly after," she said.

Greg Fritz was working in his basement when he heard the loud boom.

"It sounded like something huge fell upstairs on my first floor like a huge piece of furniture and it completely shook the whole house. Just a big boom," he said. "I never felt the house shake like that or even just such a loud sound. So that was quite the shocker."

Fritz went upstairs and when he saw that nothing was wrong inside his house, he looked outside. That's when he saw smoke and emergency crews at the house down the street. 

"I've never seen anything like that," he said. 

Platoon chief Miles Fitzhenry said firefighters haven't yet determined the cause of the fire, but it appears to have started in the garage and spread to the rest of the house. He said the structure of the house will likely have to be demolished.