Two people were injured after an explosion occurred inside an apartment in Van Nuys, officials confirmed Thursday.
The blast happened before 10 a.m. inside an apartment unit on Hartland Street near Van Nuys Boulevard and Vanowen Street, according to the LA Fire Department.
The apartment where the explosion occurred as vacant at the time, but the fire department said two maintenance workers were using epoxy, a flammable material, to reglaze a tub. There were paints, thinners and tub glazing present at the scene.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they found two workers onside with some burns to the face and the hands. They were later determined to be first and second-degree burns.
A preliminary investigation found the blast was caused by paints, thinners and tub glazing when the accumulated vapors hit the pilot light.
“I just hear my apartment move, so I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s going to be an earthquake or something,'” Iliana Cruz, who lives by, said.
The explosion blew out windows and doors. The Southern California Gas Company turned off utilities to assess the situation, going door to door to check on neighbors, officials said.
Nothing burned from the explosion, according to the building manager.