Explosions Heard from Scene of East Lyme Fire

A family of five is displaced in East Lyme.

Five people are out of their East Lyme home after a fire early Monday morning and a firefighter was injured.

Several people called 911 around 3 a.m. after hearing explosions from the home on Morris Lane, off of Lovers Lane, and feeling them from almost a quarter-mile away.

Family members were awake because Monday is a holiday, fortunately, and were able to get out of the house quickly.

"The first instinct was to just get out and we all left within five minutes and we called 911," Bharat Shah said.

The fire marshal said several oxygen bottles in the garage exploded.

Shah's mother-in-law lives in the house and needs oxygen tanks. The lawnmower and lawnmower, which both operate on gasoline, were also in the garage.

Officials said the fire was so intense that firefighters had to back off at one point.

The four adults and one child made it out of the home safely, but one firefighter fell from the second floor. He is expected to be OK.

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