What to Know
- A fire at a home where there was a sleepover party injured 13 people, including two critically, police say
- Neighbors described hearing loud booms, but officials didn't confirm an explosion
- The house in Port Reading is a total loss, police say
A house erupted in flames early Saturday, destroying the structure and hurting 13 people, including two critically, police said.
The home on Vernon Way in Port Reading was engulfed in flames by 10 a.m., Woodbridge police said. The house is a total loss.
There had been a family party at the house Friday night and some people had slept over, police said. The people in the house ranged in age from 2 to 60.
"It came from the basement, the first thing that went is the boiler blew through the floor," said Marcos Mercado, 23, who was still in his pajamas after getting checked out from the hospital. "It was a big hole in the floor right next to my niece and her hair was on fire. She put it out while she was running out the house."
Mercado says two of his uncles were flown to the hospital. Police said they had severe burns.
Neighbors described hearing a loud boom and seeing the house immediately engulfed in flames.
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"Within 2 minutes, the whole house was gone," neighbor Al Audenis said. "Everything was in flames. Every part of the house was on fire."
Audenis said he was mowing the grass nearby when the fire began.
"Unbelievable," he said. "It's so scary to watch this."
