Police investigate explosion at house in Virginia

Police in a Virginia suburb of the nation’s capital are investigating a massive explosion at a house where officers were trying to serve a search warrant Monday.

The Arlington County Police Department said in a statement that the suspect fired several shots inside the home and that an explosion happened. Firefighters were working to extinguish the fire. The police had earlier said that they were investigating after someone fired a flare gun from the house.

Arlington is located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The explosion took place in Bluemont, a suburban neighbourhood in north Arlington where many of the homes are duplexes that house two families, according to an AP report.

A massive boom was heard in the area just after 8:20 p.m. Power was knocked out in the immediate area and flames could be seen shooting in the air from a nearby street. Stretchers were also seen near the house.

Carla Rodriguez of South Arlington said she could hear the explosion more than 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) away and came to the scene, which was roped off blocks away, to see what was happening.

“I thought a plane exploded,” she said.