ARLINGTON, Va. — Police and firefighters continue to investigate a massive house explosion in Arlington Monday night. The blast, felt miles away, was caught on camera.
According to the Arlington County Police Department, officers went to a home in the 800 block of North Burlington Street around 4:45 p.m.for reported shots fired. As they investgiated, police said they believe an unidentifed man fired a flare gun inside the home into the neighborhood 30-40 times.
Radio traffic provided by OpenMhz shows firefighters were initially confused by the call they responded to.
"It's either fireworks or flares, I'm not sure which one it is," a firefighter told a dispatcher.
During the course of the investigation, officers obtained a search warrant for the home, and attempted to talk to the man via telephone and loud speakers. They got no response. Police say the man remained barricaded inside.
Arlington Police said in a press statement that around 8 p.m, the barricaded man fired several rounds from a firearm from inside his home. Subsequently, the house exploded around 8:25 p.m.
Firefighters could be heard radioing for backup following the explosion.
"We need all fire apparatus we can get, the house has exploded," one firefighter told a dispatcher on his radio.
Arlington County Fire Department crews got the fire under control around 10:30 p.m. and crews were monitoring the blaze to make sure it didn't flare up again in the overnight hours.
ACFD evacuated neighbors as a precaution, and a shelter-in-place order was issued for several hours during the investigation. That order has since been lifted, according to authorities. No property damage was reported
Police say three officers had minor injuries, but no one needed to be taken to area hospitals.
Police have not yet confirmed what happened to the man in the home. It is also not known whether police had any previous interactions with the man.
"The investigation into the circumstances of the explosion are ongoing," police said in an initial statement.
Power was knocked out in the immediate area following the explosion. By Tuesday morning, Dominion Energy reported zero outages on its website.
Video captured by X user @connormaj showed the moments the house exploded
Carla Rodriguez of South Arlington said she could hear the explosion more than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away and came to scene, which was roped off blocks away, to see what was happening.
“I actually thought a plane exploded,” she said.
Bob Maynes, who lives nearby, heard the explosion, too.
"It didn't feel like an earthquake, but there was a boom... I was like, 'What could possibly cause that kind of noise,'" he said.
Will Smyth said he heard the explosion as he was coming out of the gym.
"You just hear the bang out of nowhere," Smyth said. "I remember walking out to my car, and just hearing a big pop."
Another neighbor said the blast shook his whole house.
"I thought someone drove a car through a front door or something. I didn't know what to think," Jeff Bradley said. "It's definitely not your average Monday night."
Bradley said he's lived in the neighborhood for about six years and has never experienced anything like this before.
"Not even remotely close," he said.
On Tuesday, ACPD released a statement, thanking the community for their support during the explosion:
“I would like to thank the Arlington Community for their support during this time and patience as we complete what will be an extensive and time-consuming investigation,” said Chief Andy Penn. “I also want to express how proud I am of the members of the police department and our public safety partners for their courageous and professional actions to ensure the safety of our community.”
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Despite the size and surprise of the fiery explosion, none of the firefighters were injured. Video courtesy: Fairfax County Fire and Rescue