A Santa Maria house was destroyed in an apparent explosion Wednesday afternoon and several people were receiving medical treatment for injuries, according to city officials.
Police and fire personnel responded to the blast at 12:10 p.m. in the 1200 block of Jackie Lane, in the Hancock Village neighborhood just east of Highway 101 near Marian Regional Medical Center.
They found the home “demolished and reduced to rubble,” city spokesman Mark van de Kamp said. “The blast blew out windows in 10 adjacent houses.”
Fire Department crews extinguished the blaze and then police officers formed search teams to rescue residents, police Lt. Paul Van Meel said.
Four people were transported to local hospitals with injuries, van de Kamp said.
One was extricated from the home that exploded, one was extricated from an adjacent home, and two other people were in the home behind the one that exploded, he said. No information was available on their condition.
The cause of the explosion and fire was unknown and under investigation.
The SoCalGas company responded to the scene, and Santa Barbara County sent an excavator and search dog to the scene.
After the incident and into Wednesday evening, people were asked to avoid East Estes Drive while fire and police officials searched the area and investigated the blast.
