A large emergency response is underway in Canton after a house explosion near the intersection of Bonnot Place NE and W Maple Street.
News 5's Mike Holden was there this morning.
WATCH:
Video from a neighbor shows flames shooting out of the side of a house.
"It blew everything off my walls. My cabinets are open. My TVs are blown off the walls," neighbor Nicole Cole said.
Division Fire Chief Steve Henderson told News 5 that the explosion was caused by a natural gas leak, although the cause and point of origin of it is still under investigation.
The explosion was captured on surveillance camera footage.
WATCH:
As a result of the blast's strength, he said two homes were moved so far off their foundations that they will need to be demolished, and another three nearby houses could need to be demolished as well. Crews were also seen Thursday afternoon demolishing several garages in the neighborhood.
Take a look at the damage from a drone.
The explosion happened around 4 a.m.
Neighbor Natalie Gibson said she was fast asleep when she was awakened by the explosion.
"Our whole house shook. I mean our windows were blown in and I immediately knew something was horribly wrong," Gibson said.
According to the fire department, one man was transported to the hospital with burns to 80% of his body.
A second victim was found in the 1500 block of 15th Street NE.
It's not clear why the individuals were inside the vacant home. However, Division Chief Henderson told News 5 there were copper pipes present in the home.
He was taken to Aultman Hospital and is expected to be transferred to the Burn Center at Akron Children's Hospital for specialized treatment.
"The building's flattened, so we're going to have to get some heavy equipment out to move some material," Division Fire Chief Steve Henderson said.
Firefighters said the explosion scattered debris throughout the neighborhood and brought down multiple power lines, which created additional hazards for emergency responders and residents.
Division Chief Henderson said that the Red Cross is helping 23 people relocate following the explosion.
It's not clear yet if the two men involved with the vacant home explosion will face criminal charges.
