Fire officials in Florida on Thursday released dramatic security video of a laundromat explosion that injured four people on Wednesday.
Ocala Fire Rescue said firefighters responded to Classic Laundromat at 1423 NE 25th Avenue in Ocala at around 6:19 p.m. Wednesday after a 911 caller reported an explosion.
The first unit to arrive found smoke and flames emanating from the laundromat, which was surrounded by other businesses in a strip mall. Four people were found injured, and two of them were transported to the hospital for treatment, the fire department said.
Along with the fire department, Ocala Police Department, Ocala Electric Utility, Ocala Water Resources, Ocala Building Department, Marion County Fire Rescue, and TECO Gas all responded to the scene.
As firefighters extinguished the blaze, search and rescue crews ensured there were no other occupants in the building.
Once the fire was out, the building's structural integrity was assessed by inspectors. The laundromat and seven adjacent shops were deemed "inaccessible for regular operations."
Photos of the aftermath showed the strip mall almost completely destroyed, with debris strewn across the parking lot.
On Thursday, the fire department released a security video that captured the explosion from across the street.
The State Fire Marshals office and Ocala Fire Rescue Inspectors are investigating the cause of the explosion.
-With TMX
