Man burned in the explosion on Christmas night in Hempstead

HEMPSTEAD, Texas (KTRK) – Investigators say a person was burned in a home blast in Hempstead overnight.

Just before 10:30 p.m. Thursday, investigators received calls for an explosion on 5th Street, near St. Louis. Beard.

The video of the area shows the damage caused by the explosion, with debris scattered on the street.

When firefighters first arrived, several buildings were burned. They were able to put out the flames quickly.

“There’s fire, there are civilians running towards him,” a firefighter could be heard on the Range Cast scanner. “We need more people here to help with control.”

The Waller County Fire Commissioner’s office says a man went home to pick up clothes and when he opened the door, the house exploded. Researchers say he does not live at home.

The man is reported to have severe burns to his face, chest and arms. Life Flight took him to a Houston hospital.

Investigators say EMS treated a couple of other people at the scene, mostly out of anxiety.

“My uncle’s house exploded. I got here and I knew how it looked,” Luis Saucedo said. “My uncle lives there, my grandmother lives behind it, my parents live nearby. My friend called me and told me he blew up a house in St. Barbe.”

“Right now, it’s early on in the investigation,” Dean Hensley told the Office of the Waller County Fire Commissioner. “We measure waste, we take photos, we talk to witnesses. It will take us a while.”

Local authorities worked to clean up the waste.

The cause of the explosion is being investigated.

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