photo by: Contributed

Fire crews responded to a house fire at a home in the 1500 block of Cadet Avenue overnight Thursday.

Updated at 11:30 a.m. Friday

Fire crews were working the scene of a house fire Friday morning in eastern Lawrence after what one resident described as an explosion overnight Thursday.

Tim Kelly, a resident in the area, said a home at the southwest corner of East 15th Street and Cadet Avenue had exploded and erupted into flames. The garage of the home, which seemed to be the center of the fire, was being torn down Friday morning, with fire officials citing safety concerns.

Tom Fagan, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical division chief for administration, said in a news release Friday morning that crews responded to the reported fire at 1501 Cadet Ave. around 10 p.m. Thursday, where flames had engulfed a detached garage.

Firefighters used a “high-flow attack hose” to contain the large fire to the home and garage, he said. They also had to take a “defensive posture” while responding because flammable containers were ignited by the fire, causing explosions.

Kelly said he heard a “series of explosions” and saw the family of the home running out of the house. He said the fire appeared to be coming from the home’s garage and was spreading quickly.

He also said he watched the fire from a distance because “things were exploding everywhere.” But fire crews arrived a short time later and put the fire out within minutes, he said.

“I think the fire department did a great job,” he said.

The house appeared to be severely damaged, with about a third affected, he said.

Fagan said no residents or firefighters were injured in the incident. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, he said.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Crews demolish the garage of the house at the southwest corner of East 15th Street and Cadet Avenue Friday morning after a fire destroyed the structure.

photo by: Kim Callaha/Journal-World

Fire crews gather outside a home at East 15th Street and Cadet Avenue Friday, Oct. 1, 2021. Residents in the area said a portion of the property had exploded and erupted into flames on Thursday night.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

The garage of a home in the 1500 block of Cadet Avenue, which was the site of a fire Thursday night, Sept. 30, 2021.