The police in the Bluemont area of Arlington, Virginia, are dealing with the aftermath of a house suddenly exploding as officers attempted to conduct a search of the property.
Officers from the Arlington County PD first responded at about 4:45 p.m. on Monday afternoon to calls of possible shots fired at an unassuming suburban red brick home.
The police learned that an unidentified occupant had fired a flare gun from the home into their neighborhood 30 to 40 times. The officers obtained a search warrant and tried to establish contact.
According to a police statement, officers attempted to reach the individual by telephone and then used loudspeakers. However, the suspect refused to come out and barricaded themselves inside.
At some point, the officers decided to close in to execute the search warrant.
A series of shots were allegedly fired right before the home was engulfed in a fireball that flung debris high into the air.
No cops injured in House Explosion: Arlington, Virginia, police have not released identity of suspect
Dramatic footage showed the house surrounded by cop cars just before it blew up, shaking the entire neighborhood and shocking residents.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelAmazingly, the cops have reported that no one was seriously injured in the blast, and nobody needed hospital care.
The police have also confirmed that the 30 to 40 flares initially fired by the suspect did not cause any injuries or property damage.
However, the suspect’s identity has not been released, their location is currently unknown, and the cops have not confirmed if there were other people in the house. The investigation is ongoing.
The Arlington County Fire Department was quickly on the scene, and fire crews spent some time battling spot fires, but the area was secured and under control by 10:30 p.m.
Arlington house explosion: Residents describe their surprise
One neighbor, Ann-Elise Quinn, told NBC News she had heard about 20 or so flares and initially thought someone was just “goofing off on an afternoon,” However, as the flares continued, she began to wonder if the police should be involved.
On the explosion, Quinn said, “I had been hearing prior to this, some sort of firecracker sorts of sounds, and then suddenly there’s a loud boom, and my entire house is shaking. All the lights went off immediately.”
Another resident told the press, “They’re talking to him. And then next thing you know, the house blows up. It’s a duplex, and it’s collapsed the entire side and I don’t know about the other side of the duplex. I’m just hoping that people next door got out.”
The police had issued a shelter-in-place order, which remained in effect until Tuesday morning.
Members of the FBI and the ATF are assisting the Arlington County PD in the ongoing investigation.