Emergency services rushed to a gas explosion at a home in Leeds yesterday that left the street cordoned off for hours and neighbours evacuated.
West Yorkshire Police confirmed they attended the home on Copperfield Grove in Cross Green after a call at 4.25pm on Friday, December 23. The street was cordoned off for a few hours while West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service dealt with the incident.
Copperfield Grove residents who were in at the time told LeedsLive they heard a "huge bang" from the home. The next door neighbours confirmed they were evacuated from their home by emergency services, but have since been cleared to go back in.
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Police confirmed today that the accidental explosion was caused by an aerosol can and a gas cooker. Residents said they thought the family had been out at the shops at the time, so thankfully no one had been injured. The devastating explosion, however, has destroyed everything that belonged to the family.
The Society in the City of Leeds, which is helping the family after the explosion, put out a statement detailing the impact it has had. A post on Facebook reads: "Here in Cross Green last night, a young family lost everything through the cause of a gas explosion. That has taken their home, their Christmas and everything they own. They are safe.
"We have two girls aged 4 and 2, a boy if 9 months, and mum too. If you can spare a gift, wrap it with the age on, bring it to St Hildas Cross Green tonight the church will be open from 630pm, but there will be folk in our community room this afternoon too. The gifts will be blessed , and I'll drop them with the family so tomorrow we can give them the Christmas Day they were planning."
One boy who lives on Copperfield Road, who spoke to LeedsLive with his mother, said: "I heard a really loud bang. And then we looked out and we could see a dog in the window. It was really scary, but we saw the dog got out alright. We couldn't go down the street for a while."
On Saturday, the front windows of the affected home were boarded up. Pictures and videos from the night before showed the windows missing. Another resident said: "There was a really loud bang yesterday afternoon, you could hear it all over the street. Then I looked out my window and I could see this bright orange glow from the flames. The police cordoned it off for a few hours I think, maybe three or so."
A couple living on the other side of the road explained they were out shopping at the time of the explosion, but their daughter had been in, and had described the "scary" noise to them when they returned.
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: "Police received a report at 4.25pm yesterday (Friday, 23 December) of a house fire at a property on Copperfield Grove. Emergency services attended the address and established that a small explosion had been caused by a gas cooker and an aerosol can. It is being treated as a non-suspicious, accidental incident."
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