Weather 
BELL GARDENS, Calif. () — A child and a man were injured after an explosion at an apartment building in a Bell Gardens neighborhood.
Firefighters extinguished flames shortly before 7:10 p.m. Tuesday in the 6500 block of Purdy Avenue at the two-story building, where crews fought defensively against the blaze, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Fire officials said it took 60 firefighters roughly an hour to report a knock down.
Witness video of the fire showed flames shooting into the sky. AIR7 footage showed shattered windows, a blown off roof and a large hole on the side of the building in the aftermath of the blaze.
A child and an adult were taken to hospital in unknown condition, but witness Jose Mendez said the adult’s injuries were severe.
“He was all burned up… His skin was peeled off basically,” Mendez said.
There was a somber feeling at the scene as onlookers gathered outside their homes. One person was visibly emotional.
Two people who spoke to Eyewitness News said a child may be missing, but the L.A. County Fire Department was unable to confirm if a child was unaccounted for.
A total of four families were displaced.
The fire department initially said the building was a two-story home.
Eyewitness News has learned that the county fire department, L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and Bell Gardens police are part of the investigation.
The cause of the blast remains under investigation.
City News Service contributed to this report.
© 2026 Television,
