Business explosion critically injuries Eustis woman, service dog

EUSTIS, Fla. - One woman and her service dog were inside a Eustis business on Thursday when the building exploded. 

Officials said the explosion took place shortly after work crews "crimped" off a gas line due to a gas leak in the area. However, a jewelry business – which has the words "Gemstones Jewelry Rocks" on the storefront off of South Eustis Street – did not have gas service to it, fire officials said. 

As the root cause of the fire is currently under investigation, residents spoke with FOX 35's Hannah Mackenzie about the events that transpired. 

 The explosion

What we know:

Just before 11 a.m., Thursday, an explosion rocked the intersection of South Eustis Street and East Citrus Avenue.

Surveillance video captured the moment a fireball blasted through the roof of a business called ‘Gemstones Jewelry Rocks.

"I thought maybe it was a car accident, but then I looked outside and sure enough there were flames," said Jennifer Doyle.

Doyle lives next-door to the business. She said her apartment shook. She ran outside and saw a woman emerge from the fiery building.

"She was standing there in a daze," Doyle said. "I couldn’t believe it. Her entire top had been blown off."

According to Eustis city officials, the woman inside was critically injured and flown to an area hospital.

Another neighbor, Kalin Cohen, said the woman’s service dog was also inside and injured in the explosion.

"[She] did suffer some burns around her eyes, nose, feet and belly," Cohen read from a text. "A lot of her fur is singed, but not burned to the skin. She has been to the vet, has antibiotics, ointment and painkillers."

A gas smell

According to Doyle, the explosion and resulting fire should never have happened.

"This is really upsetting to me, because I had called and complained of a smell of gas over two weeks ago," Doyle said. "They told me to leave instantly. I did leave. They came out and walked around – I saw that from my ring camera… I was never informed anything about the situation or if anything came from it."

FOX 35’s Hannah Mackenzie reached out to TECO Peoples Gas for more information on Doyle’s claims. We did not hear back prior to publication.

Officials respond

Eustis Fire Chief Michael Swanson said his crews are still working to determine why the building exploded.

"What makes this a little complicated for all of us, is that the building actually doesn’t have gas service to it," Swanson said. According to Swanson, fire crews were called to the scene about 90 minutes before the explosion in reference to a gas leak.

"Everything was going according to plan," Swanson said. "They crimped it off; we were waiting a bit and we were going to start monitoring and that’s when the explosion occurred."

What we don't know:

Neither the woman or the dog's condition is known at this time. The city of Eustis said on Dec. 5 that it had not received an update on her condition. 

A family member of the victim declined to give an update on her condition at this time.

What's next:

Florida’s State Fire Marshal is continuing to investigate the root cause of the fire, with samples and scene details under review, the city of Eustis said in a Dec. 5 press release. 

"Our crews responded swiftly and worked to bring the scene under control," Michael Swanson, Eustis Fire Chief, said in a statement. "We are grateful for the support of our partner agencies and the cooperation of the community."

Lake County