The explosion and resulting fire happened around 9:15 p.m. in the 14400 block of Southwood Drive. When San Bernardino County fire officials arrived, flames could be seen coming from every opening in the house.
Firefighters said the fire was starting to spread to neighboring homes. More crews were called in, and after about 35 minutes, the blaze was under control.
Residents say it began with a big blast. The explosion was so intense that it blew the garage door of the home across the street. At first, some neighbors thought it was an earthquake.
"I was laying down on my couch, watching TV, and what I heard was a big boom on the back side of my house. Windows, everything started shaking, so I opened a door and saw a bunch of smoke coming out of the back of a house," said neighbor Edward Senta.
Neighbors say a family lived there, but only one victim was found inside. The victim was only identified as a 50-year-old man. He was so badly burned in the fire that officials will need to use dental records to positively identify him.
Multiple agencies were investigating the incident.
