The blast happened in the 11000 block of Miranda Street around 12:30 a.m. Several 911 calls were received about some sort of explosion.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they found a pickup truck parked in a driveway toward the rear of a home had exploded. When they got closer, they saw at least one propane tank inside the vehicle and backed off. The bomb squad was then called in.
Officials say the blast was so strong it blew the roof off the truck and blew out the windows to nearby homes. As a precaution, residents were asked to evacuate. Some had no choice but to stay the night in their cars. Residents who chose not to evacuate were asked to shelter in place.
"All the buildings shook, my apartment shook, I thought somebody ran into a car out here," said resident Clifton Eddie.
No one was injured, and residents were let back into their homes Tuesday morning. But arson investigators remained on scene trying to determine exactly what caused the blast.
"The possible source of this explosion could be a propane tank that's inside this vehicle," said Lt. Todd Hankel of the North Hollywood Police Department.
Neighbors describe the family living at the home as very quiet and say they have lived there for several years. Authorities say the family is being cooperative with them.
The truck is expected to be impounded. Investigators say they have not ruled anything out and are still looking into if this was just an accident or if there was criminal intent.
