Explosion, Fire Destroys House Near Leonard

Bixby firefighters are investigating a house explosion in the Leonard area.

Firefighters say they received reports of a possible explosion at the property near Highway 64 and 161st East Avenue.

They say it took a long time to get the fire completely out because the roof collapsed on top of the home.

The cause of the explosion and fire is being investigated, but firefighters say they believe it could have been caused by a propane tank, due to the nature of the explosion and the prevalence of propane tanks in the area.

Firefighters say they will return to the scene in the morning to continue the investigation.

People who live nearby say the explosion was incredibly loud.  One woman described it as sounding like a bomb went off.

“I was drying clothes and I took them out of the dryer and my whole trailer shook,” said neighbor Irene Foutch.  “All my china and stuff.  It was scary.  It was really scary.”

“It actually blew the roof off and the structure collapsed,” said Bryan Wood from the Bixby Fire Department.  “We don’t see any broken windows from any of the structures nearby, so it was probably coming up and not out, so we were fortunate there.”

No injuries were reported and firefighters say no one was home at the time.  Bixby Fire says they are in contact with Red Cross to help the family.