Overview
- The blast struck early Thursday and destroyed a vacant, for-sale house in Canton, Ohio, throwing at least one person into the street and scattering debris across the neighborhood.
- Fire officials say one man was taken to a hospital with burns to about 80 percent of his body and that a second person is believed to have been inside the home and remains unaccounted for while searches continue.
- At least five nearby homes sustained damage and an adjacent house caught fire, with three occupants of that house reported uninjured; witnesses and a fire official said the explosion was felt up to two miles away.
- The Canton Fire Department and local investigators have opened an active inquiry into the cause and have called utility crews to address electrical hazards created by fallen power lines and debris.
- Beyond the immediate rescue effort, the blast raises local public-safety and housing concerns for residents and could prompt inspections, emergency repairs, and scrutiny of vacant properties in the area.