Smyrna neighbors band together to save couple from home explosion
“People were praying, people were crying, people were scared, but people were answering the bell, and God was with them.”
SMYRNA, Tenn. (WSMV) - UPDATE: The man who was hospitalized after the explosion has died, according to the town of Smyrna’s PIO.
EARLIER: The Smyrna Fire Department is investigating an apparent explosion at a home on St. Michaels Lane on Sunday afternoon.
Firefighters responded to a report of an explosion at a home around 4:35 p.m. Neighbors told WSMV4 an elderly man, his wife and their dog were all inside the home at the time.
A Smyrna Police officer on scene said the man was taken to the hospital, but they don’t know how he is doing.
Ronnie Cannon lives across the street from the home. He said his daughter had just left their house when the explosion happened. She called 911.
“I haven’t heard an explosion like that since I was training in the service,” Cannon said. “The house looked like it’d been hit with a bomb.”
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Cannon said neighbors rushed from every direction to help pull the couple and their dog to safety. Despite the home being engulfed in flames, Cannon said two young men ran inside to pull the homeowner out into the lawn.
“The courage that those guys had going in there. They had to go up the steps to get him,” Cannon said. “They all helped bring them across the street, all the neighbors, you know, just volunteering and pulling and helping. When you see something like that, it just makes you proud, proud to be part of this group.”
Cannon said the man who lived inside had burns all over his body when he was taken to a nearby hospital. He said he was working on the gas hot water heater when it exploded. Meanwhile, firefighters and his wife worked to help their dog.
“The one common ground we all agreed on, we all just witnessed a miracle. There’s absolutely no reason to think anybody could have walked out of that and lived, and all three are alive. So God had his hand around them,” he said.
WSMV4 is working to learn how the man is doing and will update this article with the latest.
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