CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A man who lives near a Clay County home where an explosion occurred on Monday night described to News4JAX the loud noise that resonated throughout the neighborhood at the time of the incident.
According to the incident report, a woman who was inside the Oakleaf Plantation home at the time of the explosion, which happened around 9:30 p.m., said she had turned on a dryer in the garage and complained of a “possible” gas smell before the incident.
The explosion happened on Sycamore Way, which is about 3 miles south of Argyle Forest Boulevard.
Keith Croy, who lives right across the backwoods from the home, said he heard a “sonic boom” when the explosion happened.
“We heard it, and then we questioned like, ‘Was it an F-35 that maybe went a little supersonic, gave a sonic boom?’ Croy said.
Four people, two adults and two children, were inside the home at the time of the explosion and had to be transported to a hospital following the incident.
Brandon Kimbrel, the homeowner’s son, told News4JAX that his family members have injuries that are not life-threatening, and they should make a full recovery.
”My wife saw the feed on the website and they showed a picture of the house, and it looked bad," Croy said.
While the official cause of the fire was still under investigation as of Tuesday evening, a fire marshal said he did not observe anything suspicious during the initial investigation and advised that the explosion was likely caused by a natural gas leak, according to the incident report.
Mark D’Amico, a public adjuster with First Coast Claim Consultants, said residents should always make sure they have the right protection against leaks, whether they have natural or any other kind of gas.
“It’s something we don’t normally see, natural gas. In this neighborhood, a lot of the houses are on natural gas,” D’Amico said.
The explosion caused “substantial” damage to the home, according to the incident report. D’Amico said it could take months to decide on the future of the home.
