CHINO HILLS, Calif. — Eight people were injured when a home exploded in a Southern California city on Sunday, authorities said.

According to the Chino Valley Fire District, the blast forced temporary evacuations of 16 people.

Firefighters in Chino Hills did not say what caused the explosion, but noted that a gas leak had been stopped. The house was reduced to rubble, officials said.

Pieces of the home were scattered all over Sierra Vista Drive, and a gas line built into a wall outside the residence burned for hours, KABC reported.

Fire officials said crews responded at 3:44 p.m. PT.

“Firefighters found major damage to the reported house and minor damage to surrounding homes,” they said.

Officials said that four injured victims were transported to an area hospital and four others arrived by themselves.

Some of the victims were children, witnesses told KABC.

“They were just screaming for help, saying, ‘Ow. It hurts! Help me!’ You know, barefooted in their pajamas,” one witness, who asked not to be identified, told the television station. “The little boy without a shirt, just in his sweatpants. It was hard.”

The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

Chino Hills is located about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

© 2025 Cox Media Group