A St. Thomas man is in hospital following a blast so powerful it launched debris into backyards clear across the street.
St. Thomas police and fire crews were called to a home at 30 Wood St. shortly after 9am Monday, after a car in the driveway exploded.
"It was a fairly substantial explosion," says Chief Fire Prevention Officer Bill Todd. "It did do a lot of damage to the vehicle. It was fully involved when our crews arrived."
A man injured in the explosion was taken to hospital in London. There is no word on his current condition.
Police are only saying the man was near the car at the time of the blast. They would not confirm whether he was was working on the vehicle or starting the engine prior to the explosion.
"There was another gentlemen in the house. He heard the explosion and the glass went through the windows in the house," says Todd. That man was not injured.
The windows were also blown out of a second home near the blast.
Stu McLean lives three doors over from the home and heard the explosion.
"There was a large boom. It almost sounded like a bomb went off," says McLean.
He rushed over to the home to see what had happened and that's when he spotted the car.
"It was in flames and smoke was billowing all over the place."
An investigator with the Ontario Fire Marshal's office will be on scene in the afternoon, joining members of the St. Thomas Criminal Investigation branch.
