NM Crews Tame House Fire Following Gas Explosion

Jan. 1—Firefighters snuffed a house fire started by a gas explosion that blew the garage door off a home and left two people hospitalized Thursday afternoon in Northeast Albuquerque.

Albuquerque Fire Rescue spokesman Tom Ruiz said the homeowner was hospitalized for minor burns and smoke inhalation.

He said a New Mexico Gas Co. employee, who was called to the house after people reported smelling gas, was thrown to the ground by the blast and taken to the hospital for "observational purposes."

No firefighters were injured.

Ruiz said firefighters responded around 1:45 p.m. to the fire, which was at a home in the 3100 block of Georgia NE, a few blocks from Candelaria and Louisiana. Multiple people called to report the explosion, and firefighters found heavy smoke and flames coming from the garage.

He said AFR fought the fire with hand lines and searched the home to make sure no one was inside before they successfully extinguished the blaze. Ruiz said the home suffered "significant" damage from the fire and the garage door was blown off in the explosion.

The incident remains under investigation.

Multiple ambulances and fire engines could be seen lining the street as plumes of smoke billowed from the home and dozens of firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze.

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