Two hurt in KC house blast

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- An explosion and fire destroyed a small home in the Waldo area on Kansas City's South Side early Friday, injuring a man and his 6-year-old son.

Fire chief Smokey Dyer said the two were blown clear of the house by the force of the explosion, but that their injuries did not appear to be life-threatening. Both were taken to hospitals.

The explosion happened about 6 a.m. Television shots from helicopters showed heavy flames and thick black smoke rising into the air, the smoke later changing to white.

All that was left of the one-story house was a jumbled pile of wood, siding and glass.

Some neighbors said they smelled natural gas in the area after the explosion, but Dyer said investigators had no information yet on what might have caused the explosion. He said it is not unusual for gas odor to be noticed after an explosion.

Capt. Scott Caron of the Kansas City Police Department said the bomb and arson squad was trying to determine the source of the explosion.

Paul Snider, spokesman for Missouri Gas Energy, said investigators had not ruled out gas as a cause.

"But right now there is no direct link to natural gas," Snider said. He said MGE would likely conduct its own investigation into the explosion once police and fire allowed the company in.

Germane Friends, spokesman for the fire department, said investigators were considering several possible sources.

Several nearby homes had minor damage, including broken glass, but firefighters kept the flames from spreading to other buildings.

"I felt the explosion and looked out and saw flames," said Keith Lopez, who lives about five houses away. "I ran up to the house and smelled natural gas."

He said he saw the little boy in the driveway, with a woman helping him. He said the man appeared to be in a daze and was "singed up pretty good."

"I heard the explosion and looked out my window, but I was kind of scared to come out," said another neighbor, Willie Trice. "Then I saw all the debris coming down."

Another neighbor, Chris Conley, said he saw "this big wall of flames" when he walked out of his house. He said he saw the boy lying on the ground with his face burned, and the man with burns on his back and arms, calling out for help.