Officer saves man trapped under debris in home explosion

ST.JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. – Clay Firefighters responded to a residential fire on Greenacre Street Saturday morning.

At approximately 7:50 a.m., fire crews from Clay Township were dispatched to 19500 Greenacre Street for a reported explosion with a structure on fire.

Witnesses reported hearing the blast from approximately a mile away.

Arriving firefighters worked quickly to put out the multi-story structure fire and contained the blaze within 15 minutes, officials say.

Clay Fire reports three firefighters suffered non-life threatening injuries in the fire fight.

The building suffered damage from the explosion but the fire was contained to the original structure, according to officials.

The cause of the fire and explosion are under investigation.

Corporal Boling with the St. Joseph County Police Department was the first emergency responder on scene.

The corporal entered the fiery structure where he located the occupant of the home who was trapped beneath debris resulting from the explosion.

Boling created a makeshift lever in order to free the trapped victim where both men made it out safely, officials say.

Boling and the 63-year-old victim suffered burn injuries and smoke inhalation. They were transported to Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.