The cause of an explosion that blew out part of a wall of a mobile home in Cedar Rapids is under investigation.
On Monday, August 12, 2013 around 2:30 p.m. an explosion occurred at the Prairie Oaks Manufactured Housing Community, according to a report by KCRG. A neighbor who heard the boom called the fire department to report it. Fire crews found evidence of an explosion and fire inside a mobile home on site.
Fire fighters evacuated a handful of people after extinguishing flames in the bathroom. They also moved people back from the area for safety reasons, authorities said.
Monday evening, investigators searched the home, finding chemicals and other items, according to police and witnesses. The fire department returned during the search to confirm that there was not another fire hazard, according to KCRG.
According to the report, Greg Buelow who works with the Cedar Rapids Fire Department said that the back wall of the mobile home was partially blown out. This area included the master bedroom and bathroom.
KCRG reported that a 30-year-old woman and a 7-year-old girl were taken to area hospitals after the explosion. A 34-year-old man and a 12-year-old boy also had reported injuries, but were not taken to the hospital. All four are expected to make a full recovery.
According to the Cedar Rapids Fire Department, they are working with the police department’s bomb squad to determine what happened. No arrests have been made, according to the report.