Bug bomb blamed for explosion inside Philadelphia home

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A house in the Lawndale section of Philadelphia was damaged after an explosion on Tuesday afternoon.

Fire officials tell Action News they responded to the 500 block of Glenview Street just after 1 p.m.

When they arrived, firefighters noticed the front of the house had a damaged window.

There have been no reports of injuries.

Chopper 6 was over the scene of explosion in Lawndale on June 25, 2019.

A woman who lives in the home told Action News she saw a bug and told her husband to get a bug bomb. A short time later there was an explosion after she said they used the bug bomb under the kitchen sink.

Michele Barbera said she had never used a bug bomb before.

"The whole boom, it just scared the crap out of me. I thought the whole house blew up," said Barbera.

It's not yet known what triggered the blast, however Barbera said it may have been because she didn't turn the pilot light off from the appliances.

Barbera said police, fire, paramedics and the bomb squad came to her home after the explosion. She felt short of breath and was checked out by paramedics, but said she feels fine now.

The view from Chopper 6 shows damage to the front upstairs window and debris in Barbera's front lawn.

Barbera said there's no damage to the inside of her home, and licensing and inspection said there was no structural damage.

Mark Lenhard works across the street from the home and said this is usually a quiet neighborhood.

"It blew the windows right out of the house, I'm surprised nobody got hurt," said Lenhard.