A man was rushed to hospital after an explosion shook a residential area of Surrey, B.C., on Friday afternoon. Firefighters were called to a home in the city’s Cloverdale neighbourhood after the blast rang out around 4:40 p.m. The house was in flames when emergency responders arrived. Battalion Chief Jeff Klassen with the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service said a man in his 20s was airlifted to hospital with third-degree burns as crews worked to douse the flames. The Surrey Police Service described the man as an “occupant” of the residence and described his injuries as “life-threatening.” Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze by Friday evening, but Klassen told CTV News the property sustained heavy damage. It’s unclear what caused the explosion. Klassen said an investigation is underway. Joshua Parkinson lives in the neighbourhood and witnessed the explosion. “You could see the roof go up, the windows blew out,” he said Friday night. “I immediately called 911, came running out of the house to see if anyone needs help.” Parkinson said two other witnesses rushed to help the man get out of the building, noting that a heavy object—part of the roof, he speculated—had fallen in front of the door and was blocking the exit. Broken glass could be seen strewn about the roadway after the blaze. The SPS told CTV News on Saturday that it did not expect to share any updates on the investigation over the weekend. With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Kraig Krause
