Charlotte Fire Department/Twitter An explosion leveled a home on James Jack Lane in Charlotte, North Carolina.
A multi-million-dollar home on James Jack Lane in Charlotte, North Carolina, was destroyed in an explosion on July 2, photos and video from the scene show. One man who was inside the house was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, authorities said. He called 911 from under the debris and was rescued by firefighters.
The man was alert when pulled from the rubble of the home. He had been trapped underneath for about three hours, according to officials. Firefighters were continuing to search for other victims, but authorities would not say whether they believed anyone else had been inside teh home.
Firefighters flocked to the house in the Ballantyne neighborhood Tuesday afternoon for a 4-alarm call after the blast, the Charlotte Fire Department said on Twitter.
The explosion happened in the 11000 block of James Jack Lane off Ballantyne Commons Parkway about 2 p.m. More than 80 firefighters were at the scene, according to a tweet from the fire department. According to WSOC-TV, at least two other people were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at the scene. They were in surrounding homes, according to medics. No firefighters were injured.
A neighbor told the news station that the blast shook her house. One neighbor told Fox 46 Charlotte that the blast caused residual damage to their home, breaking windows, cracking drywall, knocking items off counters and causing lights to fall down. Others in the Ballantyne area also felt the explosion.
“Explosion in Ballantyne just shook my building. I can see smoke in the distance,” Chad Clark tweeted. Erica Garcia Thomas tweeted that she, “felt our whole building shake.”
Firefighters could be seen digging through the rubble. According to Fox 46 Charlotte, the firefighters were also battling intense weather, with the heat index expected to reach more than 100 degrees on Tuesday. A rehab unit with bottled water and other supplies for the dozens of firefighters was also at the scene to assist in the incident. The department’s multi-casualty unit was also at the scene.
WBTV reporter Charlotte Morgan tweeted from the scene, “CFD tells me this is considered a rescue mission right now. They’re told by neighbors people were believed to be inside the home during the explosion. No confirmation on how many. First responders first priority right now is to make sure everyone is safe.”
A neighbor told WBTV, “The whole house shook. Everything shook. The desk shook, the T.V. shook – I almost thought for a second it was an earthquake, or a car crashed into my house or a tree fell on my house. We go outside, and everyone else is coming out of their houses, too, and they think the same thing we did – everyone thought a tree fell on their house.”
Videos From the Scene Showed Massive Damage to the Home
Videos recorded by news station helicopters show massive damage. You can watch one of the videos above. Live coverage from the scene can be watched below:
Other videos from reporters at the scene showed the destruction:
HEARTBREAKING: View of a home explosion in Ballantyne. Rescue mission underway. @charlottefire searching for potential casualties. Keep it with @FOX46News at 5, 6 and 10. We’re also live on Facebook. t.co/3tlmjeEbpR
Video of the scene on James Jack Lane in Ballantyne Country Club. @wcnc
NOW: A home on James Jack Ln. in Ballantyne exploded a short time ago. We know medic is treating 2 people from homes nearby who were hurt but should be OK. We do not have status info on people who live in the home. Will update as we get it. This is video from neighbor >>>
Reporters described the scene as “chaotic.”
Scene is chaotic here in Ballantyne. @FOX46News
The Cause of the Explosion Is Not Yet Known
Authorities have not released details about a possible cause of the explosion. Piedmont Natural Gas told WCNC-TV that the company was dispatched to the scene and turned off any active gas lines to the house and the surrounding neighborhood.
Molly Grantham, of WBTV, tweeted, “A home exploded in Ballantyne Country Club. At least 2 people in surrounding homes being treated for medical injuries. No word if anyone was inside, or why it exploded. Homes five miles away shook in massive ways. This is on James Jack Lane.”
The photos from the scene show the devastation as firefighters search through the rubble:
Picture of the scene of explosion on James Jack Lane in Ballantyne Country Club. @wcnc
BREAKING: I’m on scene off James Jack Lane in Ballantyne where a home exploded. One of the largest first responder scenes I’ve seen in Charlotte. @charlottefire said they cannot give details at this time. People several blocks away say they felt the explosion. @FOX46News
More images from the scene on James Jack Lane in Ballantyne Country Club. @wcnc
@wsoctv from golf course view at Ballantyne
BREAKING: A neighbor of the Ballantyne home explosion let us inside to see the damage from their point of view. Rescue mission in progress next door. @FOX46News
Tons of glass everywhere at the house next door to the house that exploded in Ballantyne.
Firefighters searched through neighboring homes and determined they were structurally safe and everyone who was home at the time was OK, officials said.
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