Homestead neighborhood rocked by shed explosion

Shed explodes, rocks Homestead neighborhood

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – A Homestead neighborhood was rocked by an explosion Wednesday after items in the backyard of a home went up in flames.

It happened at 1061 SE 12th Terrace, an area just off the Florida Turnpike near southwest 328th Street.

Charred debris was left scattered across the yard.

Firefighters initially raced to the burning home after neighbors called police.

"I heard pop, pop, pop," said Dorothy Moore, a resident who lives a few doors down from where the explosion took place.

"By the time I got to my front window, I was screaming like 'what's going on' and my neighbor said something exploded, there's a fire!"

The flames leaped high into the air and nearly reached the top of two large palm trees, estimated to be about three stories high.

One person was inside of the home at the time of the explosion. He managed to jump out of a window to escape.

Investigators believe a tool shed got too hot under the sun and exploded. That shed contained electrical tools and gas powered equipment.

Firefighters had to remove a nearby wooden fence to fight the flames.

Fire crews often warn against storing electric and gas powered supplies together in small, closed spaces.

No one was inured.