Man seriously injured in explosion at Turlock home

A man suffered serious burn injuries Saturday night when an explosion rocked a duplex home. Investigators suspect there was possible drug activity in the home.

The man suffered second-degree and third-degree burns over 20 percent of his body, according to the Turlock Fire Department. The man was taken by an air ambulance to a burn center for treatment. There was no further information about the injured man Sunday.

The explosion occurred shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday at the duplex home in 1000 block of North Olive Avenue, just north of East Canal Drive in Turlock.

Firefighters initially responded an emergency medical service call. They arrived and found the injured man standing outside the duplex.

Fire officials said the two-story duplex was filled with light gray smoke. Witnesses in the area told authorities the explosion occurred before the firefighters arrived.

The department’s response to the incident was upgraded to a potential structure fire; three additional fire engines responded to the scene. Fire crews provided care to the injured man, while other firefighters extinguished smoldering debris in the duplex and checked to see if the fire had spread.

Turlock police officials were called to investigate suspicious circumstances surrounding the explosion and possible drug activity at the home. The explosion and the fire remain under investigation.

This story was originally published May 14, 2017 at 9:54 AM with the headline "Man seriously injured in explosion at Turlock home."