Crime & Safety
UPDATE: 2 Men Killed in Pasadena Boarding Home Explosion
South Pasadena firefighters responded to the explosion at a Pasadena boarding home on El Sereno Avenue that killed two men and injured a third.
Update 4 pm: Pasadena Fire Department Spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said that investigators were still on scene late Thursday afternoon, but they had already determined the facility was not licensed to be
operated as a boarding house.
She said the damage was estimated at $750,000 to the structure and
$600,000 to the contents, totaling about $1.35 million.
The injured victim was taken to a hospital for treatment, and the blaze
displaced 19 people, Derderian said, describing the burned structure as ``a
boarding-type facility.''
Find out what's happening in South Pasadenawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The cause of the explosion and fire were under investigation, Derderian
said. She said that since the fire involved fatalities, all the survivors
would be interviewed before a final determination of the cause was made.
Earlier: Two men were killed and one suffered critical injuries Thursday morning in an explosion and fire at a two-story boarding-type house in Pasadena.
Find out what's happening in South Pasadenawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The fire at 1385 El Sereno Avenue just north of Washington Boulevard broke out around 2:45 a.m., Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
Crews from South Pasadena and Glendale assisted Pasadena firefighters.
The initial call reported an explosion, and arriving firefighters found flames and heavy smoke in the house, which had two stories and an attic, she said.
The injured victim was taken to a hospital for treatment, and the blaze displaced 19 people, who were awaiting the arrival of Red Cross personnel Thursday morning, Derderian said, describing the stricken structure as "a boarding-type facility."
The fire threatened but did not damage two adjacent homes, which were evacuated as around 40 firefighters battled the flames, Derderian said.
The fire was knocked in about 20 minutes, she said.
The cause of the explosion and fire were under investigation, Derderian said.
The front of the building was structurally compromised as a result of the blast and fire, she said.
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