Authorities said today that they believe a gas leak is responsible for the major explosion that destroyed a back house in West Long Beach and seriously burned a man.
An investigation has determined “the probability of a natural gas leak,” said Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Jake Heflin.
The blast at around 11 a.m. Monday shook the neighborhood and sent fire crews rushing to the property on Gale Avenue just north of West 28th Street.
The victim, Manny Fabrigas, had called off work and was resting at home after completing a father-daughter cycling marathon the day before, according to a GoFundMe posted by his wife, Sheila.
He had just put sheets in the dryer then walked out of the laundry room into the kitchen when the blast occurred, she told NBC4. The source and extent of the leak are still under investigation, according to the city of Long Beach.
Fabrigas was taken to a hospital for treatment of third-degree burns to his arms and second-degree burns to his neck, face and feet, his wife said.
A letter posted at the property Monday by the city’s code enforcement department ordered the owner to demolish what was left of the accessory dwelling unit along with a wall at the rear of the property by Wednesday because of “hazardous, dangerous” conditions.
The back house was not approved for occupancy at the time of the blast, city spokesman Richard de la Torre said in a statement.
In January 2022, the property owner obtained approval “to add to and convert the existing accessory structure” into an accessory dwelling unit, de la Torre said.
Construction work last received inspection in July 2023 and city staff contacted the contractor of record in July 2024 seeking a progress update, but no final inspection or approval of occupancy was issued, de la Torre said.
The family had been living at the property for just over a year, according to the GoFundMe.
“As Filipino immigrants, we worked tirelessly to build a life and create a home where our family could thrive,” the Fabrigas’ wife wrote. “After only a year of enjoying our dream home, it was cruelly taken away in an instant.”
The blast lifted the roof off the home and sent debris flying into the adjacent alley.
The main house on the property was “yellow-tagged” on Monday, meaning it could be entered only for residents to retrieve items from inside. A neighboring home also sustained “minor damage,” Heflin said.
Two adults and one minor were displaced from the front home by the explosion and were given lodging assistance by the American Red Cross, Heflin said.
As of Friday afternoon, the online fundraiser for Fabrigas had collected nearly $48,000 towards its goal of $100,000.
“Your kindness will help cover medical bills, provide for immediate needs, and offer a glimmer of hope as we begin to rebuild our lives,” Fabrigas’ wife wrote on the fundraiser.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with more information about permitting for the back house.