Apartment explosion on Inglewood Avenue in Stockton possible accident: police

A preliminary investigation into an explosion that injured and displaced residents of a north Stockton apartment complex Friday night indicates the blast could have been an accident, Officer Joseph Silva, a spokesman for the Stockton Police Department, said Saturday.

An arson investigator with the Stockton Fire Department will make the final determination about the cause of the explosion, Silva said.

An estimated 130 residents were evacuated and three people were being treated at a hospital on Friday night following the explosion at an 83-unit apartment complex on Inglewood Avenue. The explosion was reported at 5:54 p.m. in the 6400 block of Inglewood.

The incident prompted Pacific Gas & Electric crews to shut off power around Inglewood Drive and Quincy Street. Four apartments sustained the heaviest damage, while adjacent units also sustained some damages.

Firefighters were initially dispatched to Inglewood Avenue on a report of a structure fire. When they arrived at the complex, residents who had made their way outside approached firefighters to tell them they had heard a "big explosion," Battalion Chief Steven Islas said.

One person suffered burns to a large part of their body and another had difficulty breathing. A third person, a woman who was displaced as a result of the explosion, was later taken to the hospital with breathing problems, Islas said.

Some evacuated residents were taken to the nearby Margaret K. Troke Branch Library. Those residents were not expected to be able to return to their homes while the investigation into the incident continues.

Staff from the American Red Cross are scheduled be available at the Seifert Community Center from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. to help connect impacted residents to services, Doolan said. The Red Cross could not immediately be reached for comment.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Apartment explosion in north Stockton possible accident: police