A propane tank from a gas grill exploded Monday night when a home burst into flames on Grove Street in Bridgeport, slicing through a nearby try and narrowly missing firefighters up the driveway.
Fortunately, no one was hurt.
"As they were stretching the hose line down the driveway, there was a sudden explosion," Deputy Fire Chief Dominick Carfi said in a statement Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the fire department said the tank blew up while some firefighters searched the three-story house at 152 Grove Street and others dragged hoses to the burning building.
Shards of metal "impaled" a nearby tree, missing the firefighters by about 10 feet. Had they been any closer, Carfi said, "it could have been tragic."
The blaze forced about a dozen people from their homes. Fire officials said the displaced residents are staying with family and friends.
Authorities are investigating to determine the cause of the fire.
