Neighbors were hit by debris and their homes were left shaking after an East Valley home caught fire Thursday night, causing an explosion.
"I go through lots of things, you know, all my life,” said Gavrila Tomoiaga, whose home caught fire.
It's been an emotional 24 hours for Tomoiaga. He's thankful to be alive after an explosion went off at his home, not even two hours after he went out with friends.
"Everything is burnt to the ground, ashes and all," says Tomoiaga.
The homeowner said he had some power tools charging before he left and believes that is what caused the powerful blast. While he wasn't home at the time, his neighbors felt the impact.
"The timing was just unbelievable cause when we went by, we got down and just as we were headed for the back door... I got right here... it just went 'boom.' All I saw was glass," said George Chiarelli, the next-door neighbor.
Just seconds before, Chiarelli was playing cards with a friend at his table.
"It was just like a war bomb went off. It was just [a] complete fireball, boom. I couldn't believe it. We looked at each other, we were like... 'miracle,'" said Chiarelli.
Another neighbor says her whole place shook.
"It sounded like bombs thrown at my place; that's why I was screaming," said Yvonne Meyers.
The explosion was so strong, even people about a half-mile away could hear and feel it.
"It was just a huge pressure wave. The door just jumped and for us, it was really scary," said Justin Flory.
Tomoiaga is hoping the community can help him as he begins to start over.
"All my clothing, all my tools, all my other things," says Tomoiaga.
If you would like to help him, you can email him at gtomoiaga1961@gmail.com
The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.
