MANTEO, NC — A home explosion in Manteo, North Carolina injured one person and destroyed multiple vehicles Friday afternoon.
The blast occurred on Dogwood Trail around 3:15 p.m., causing severe damage to the property. The homeowner suffered serious burns and was airlifted to a nearby hospital.
The explosion and resulting fire completely destroyed the home, three vehicles and a boat on the property.
Jordan Gutshall, who lives across the street, described the frightening moment when the explosion occurred.
"Our house rattled. I thought it was an earthquake. Never in my life, seen anything like that," Gutshall said.
"We went out our back door, and we made the turn, we saw the big billowing cloud of smoke. I said, 'Oh my gosh, everyone get back,'" Gutshall said.
WATCH: Neighbor talks about explosion that destroyed home across the street
According to the fire marshal's office, crews contained the fire within an hour but remained on scene until approximately 9 p.m. to address hot spots.
The two-alarm fire prompted a multi-agency response with at least five fire departments from Dare County responding, along with Dare County EMS.
While firefighters battled the blaze, neighbors stepped in to help. Gutshall helped firefighters locate nearby hydrants, while her son offered water to emergency responders.
"They said, 'Where are the fire hydrants?' I knew immediately, from many walks, that there was two located very close by. I had him (Her son Beau) going around, giving out waters and going around saying, 'Are you okay? Do you need anything?' That just shows how loving and cherishing this community is," Gutshall said.
Neighbors expressed their commitment to supporting the homeowner, who is reportedly well-known in the community.
"He's such a staple in this community that we will do whatever we can to help him in any way," Gutshall said.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
