4 injured after explosion at Idaho Falls apartment

IDAHO FALLS — Four people were hurt in an explosion at an Idaho Falls apartment complex Thursday afternoon.

The Idaho Falls Fire and Police departments were called to the Garfield Apartments on the 500 block of North Fanning Avenue around 1:30 p.m.

A person called 911 and told dispatch that there was a “huge explosion” on the third floor that caused windows to blow out and shook the entire building. A reporting party also told officials that a propane tank was inside an apartment, according to a news release from the Idaho Falls Fire Department.

“We were just sitting there in our room, and all of a sudden, we hear a huge explosion. The door in our bedroom was banging. Our windows were banging,” said Jodi Smith, who lives at the apartment complex where the explosion happened.

Four people were inside the apartment at the time. Two men were transported by ambulance to a local hospital in critical condition. One child and one man had minor injuries but were not transported by ambulance. There were no other injuries.

When firefighters arrived, they found heat and smoke coming from the third floor of the apartment complex. A small fire was isolated to one apartment and was extinguished quickly, causing no further damage.

Everyone in the building was evacuated, as the explosion caused damage to the structure.

Although the explosion and fire caused only minor damage to the apartment, the extent of the structural damage to the entire complex is unknown at this time.

Assistance is available for those who may have been displaced.

Those who do not have a place to stay or need immediate assistance are encouraged to contact the Law Enforcement Chaplaincy of Idaho at (208) 471-8111 or the Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767.