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• May 16, 2008 7:10 pm US/Central
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  Set Of Explosions Destroy 3 Homes In McKinney

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Set Of Explosions Destroy 3 Homes In McKinney

McKINNEY (CBS 11 News / AP) ― Three houses in McKinney are in ruins after a quick set of three fiery explosions.

Live video from Chopper 11 showed several houses, located in the 600 block of Fenet Street, in flames on Friday evening. Some nearby homes also appeared to have suffered extensive damage. One of the burned structures is actually a three-unit apartment building.

"I was in there watching TV and, all of the sudden, my building shook," said neighbor Cynthia Sprayberry. "I heard a boom, and then I heard another boom inside my building, and I didn't know what it was."

"Fire shot out the side windows of the house and the roof came straight in," said neighbor Rose Bailey. She lives directly across the street from one of the homes that exploded. "The guy had just went back inside the house. There was a gentleman standing outside and he just went back in."

"Immediately after that, the next house to my right, that one also blew up. The front door blew off and that house blew up also," Bailey continued. "I know the lady that lives there. She was at home."

Officials with the McKinney Fire Department told CBS 11 News that the explosions were triggered when a construction crew digging under one of the houses struck a buried natural gas line. Neighbors had reported smelling gas in the area in the hours prior to the explosions.

According to fire officials on the scene, at least three people, two men and one woman, suffered injuries in the explosions. Two of the victims have life-threatening burns covering 50 percent of their bodies. A third victim has burns on 30 percent of their body. All are thought to have been residents of the homes.

The victims were taken by CareFlite helicopter to the burn unit at Parkland Hospital in Dallas.

Crews evacuated 25 homes in the area. A temporary shelter has been set up and the Red Cross is assisting families affected by the explosions.

(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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