Explosion Tears Through Apex Home

(09/21/06 -- APEX) (WTVD) -- Firefighters say a woman's hobby may have caused a huge explosion and fire that tore through an Apex home early Thursday morning.

It happened around 3:30 a.m. on Piney Woods Lane off Olive Chapel Road. No one was injured.

"We actually had debris across the street and as much as two houses down," said Mark Haraway of the Apex Fire Department

Neighbors were frightened.

"It was the loudest noise I have ever heard in my life," said Michelle Fullerton, who lives just three houses away from the explosion. "As I went down the driveway, I could see the tall orange flames coming right up. I immediately ran back in and grabbed the phone to call 911."

Investigators think 100-pound propane tanks stored in the garage may have exploded, though they are still looking into the precise cause.

Karen Gould, one of the homeowners, is a hot-air balloon enthusiast. She told investigators that she smelled something strange Wednesday night and was awoken by the first explosion.

Gould and Keith Dixon just moved into the neighborhood in March. They got out safely, but have lost their home and most of their belongings. The house has been condemned.

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