Arden Arcade apartment blast leaves woman seriously hurt, Metro Fire says

Sacramento County authorities continue to investigate an explosion that seriously injured a woman inside an Arden Arcade apartment Monday evening. An infant inside the residence reportedly was not injured.

The 7:17 p.m. blast inside the apartment’s kitchen at the Howe Manor complex on the 900 block of Howe Avenue caused “moderate to severe” injury to the woman’s hand, said Metro Fire Capt. Mark Nunez, and was strong enough to cause damage to the apartment’s windows, ceilings and cabinets.

The blast was originally thought to have been caused by fireworks, but Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District officials later dismissed that as the cause, Nunez said.

The woman was treated by emergency responders at the scene before being taken to a hospital. An infant inside the residence who apparently escaped injury in the blast also was taken to a hospital as a precaution, Nunez said.

The scene was taken over by Metro Fire investigators, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, a Sacramento County Explosives Ordnance Disposal team and Pacific Gas & Electric Co., but a cause remained unknown Tuesday.

Darrell Smith

The Sacramento Bee

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Darrell Smith is a local reporter for The Sacramento Bee. He joined The Bee in 2006 and previously worked at newspapers in Palm Springs, Colorado Springs and Marysville. Smith was born and raised at Beale Air Force Base and lives in Elk Grove.