8 injured in Littleton house fire after reports of explosion

LITTLETON, Colo .– Authorities have classified a house fire in Littleton as a “mass casualty incident” after teams responding to the call found several injured at the scene.

The call arrived around 10:30 a.m. Sunday. South Metro Fire Rescue teams responded to a report of an explosion and fire at a house at 5939 South Broadway in Littleton.

Firefighters on their arrival reported smoke billowing from the structure and eight patients being treated at the scene, South Metro Fire officials tweeted.

After receiving first aid on the spot, six victims were transported to hospitals in the region where their condition was described as “stable”. Two other people were assessed at the scene.

South Metro Fire said the blaze was located in the basement of the house and crews were ventilating the structure. A spokesperson for the agency said the explosion was reported before the fire broke out in the basement.

The house is being used as a vacation rental and the owners were not at the address at the time of the incident, according to a spokesperson for South Metro Fire Rescue.

The cause of the explosion and fire is under investigation. However, guests staying at the house said they smelled gas before the explosion, the spokesperson said.

Xcel Energy has issued the following statement:

“Our hearts are with those affected by this incident. We are working with firefighters and first responders on site, and our rescuers have carried out safety checks of the area to confirm it is safe. We will coordinate with firefighters on the investigation on the cause of the incident Protecting the safety of the public and our employees is a core value and we take it very seriously.