5 injured after house explosion in St. Louis County

At least five people were injured after a house explosion sparked multiple fires in St. Louis County, Missouri, according to officials.

The explosion occurred at around 9:13 a.m. on Monday in the 13800 block of Evan Aire Drive in Florissant, where firefighters from the Black Jack Fire Protection District and officers from the North County Precinct responded to reports of a home on fire. Upon arrival, first responders found five homes engulfed in flames.

Authorities said about 20 other residences in the area also sustained damage. Residents were evacuated as fire crews from multiple agencies worked to extinguish the fires.

Five victims were located at the scene. An 18-year-old man was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. A woman was hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries and later released. An adult man and woman remain hospitalized with minor health complications, and another man was treated at the scene but declined transport.

The American Red Cross of Greater St. Louis opened a shelter at Saint Angela Merici Catholic Church in Florissant for residents displaced by the explosion. The incident remains under investigation.

Florissant is a suburb about 15 miles northwest of downtown St. Louis. It is one of the largest municipalities in the county, with a population of roughly 50,000 residents.