Crime & Safety
Propane Tank Explodes, Ignites Brush in Topanga
Los Angeles County firefighters extinguish flames. Nearby homes are evacuated as a precaution.
A hazardous materials team was summoned Saturday morning to the scene of a noninjury house fire in the unincorporated Topanga area where a 1,000-gallon propane tank exploded, causing neighboring homes to be evacuated, a fire department dispatcher said.
The fire at a one-story residence at Sischo and Observation drives was reported at 10:41 p.m. Friday and was knocked down at 11:22 p.m., said Andre Gougis, a dispatch supervisor with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The house was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, Gougis said.
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The tank explosion ignited brush that was quickly extinguished, but nearby homes were evacuated and the area was cordoned off as a precaution, he said.
A hazmat team was called to deal with the damaged propane tank, he said.