Phoenix Fire Department: One Dead, One In Critical Condition Following Explosion

An explosion Thursday morning at a house just west of downtown Phoenix rocked part of the city.

Witnesses reported seeing a massive fire and a plume of dark smoke, following a blast that was strong enough to shake nearby buildings.

First responders found two people when they arrived at the home near Fillmore Street and Grand Avenue, said Captain Jake Van Hook with the Phoenix Fire Department.

“Both were critically injured,” he said. “One was pronounced dead at the scene by our crews. And the other has been transported as a trauma (patient) to a nearby trauma center.”

Natural gas fueled the blaze, Van Hook said.

Investigators were on scene and working to figure out exactly what caused the fire.