25 votes

House explodes in Arlington VA, as police attempt to execute search warrant

Posted by arch_mage
Tags: usa.va.arlington, crime, explosion, police, warrants.search, disasters.structural, author.ana faguy, source.forbes, short read, paywall
https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/12/05/house-explodes-in-dc-suburb-heres-everything-we-know-about-the-inferno-as-police-served-search-warrant

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Title
House Explodes In D.C. Suburb: Here's Everything We Know About The Inferno As Police Served Search Warrant
Authors
Ana Faguy
Word count
231 words

11 comments

  1. [10]
    arch_mage
    Link
    I used to live near Arlington, so all my friends still in the area have been sending me this news piece. One of them was close enough to actually hear the blast. I encourage watching the video of...

    Earlier in the day, an unnamed suspect allegedly fired a flare gun 30-40 times from inside his Arlington home into the surrounding neighborhood, Arlington County Police said their preliminary investigation found, adding that there was no property damage or injuries as a result of the flare gun discharge.

    While officers were investigating the flare gun incident, local police say they obtained a search warrant for the suspect’s house and tried to make contact with him using telephone and loudspeaker communication.

    As they were trying to execute their search warrant, police said they heard what they believed was a firearm being discharged in the home several times and at about 8:25 p.m. the house exploded.

    I used to live near Arlington, so all my friends still in the area have been sending me this news piece. One of them was close enough to actually hear the blast. I encourage watching the video of the blast taken by a neighbor of the exploded home.

    Scary stuff, so close to Washington DC too.

    18 votes
    1. [5]
      Moogles
      Link Parent
      When I picture the media’s description of a house exploding I think, “yeah okay but it didn’t really explode.” This video shows a house exploding exactly how you would imagine a house actually...

      When I picture the media’s description of a house exploding I think, “yeah okay but it didn’t really explode.”

      This video shows a house exploding exactly how you would imagine a house actually exploding. Honestly, more exploded than I actually originally imagined. Like, it blew up. The whole thing.

      33 votes
      1. [4]
        Plik
        Link Parent
        I feel kinda dumb for thinking how much it didn't look like a movie explosion. It seemed like perhaps the surroundings were ok as far as fire and debris are concerned? Seemed like mostly smoke and...

        I feel kinda dumb for thinking how much it didn't look like a movie explosion. It seemed like perhaps the surroundings were ok as far as fire and debris are concerned? Seemed like mostly smoke and flaming bits of paper. Hopefully the concussive forces didn't harm anyone.

        1 vote
        1. [2]
          Soggy
          Link Parent
          Movie explosions use gasoline because real explosions are "boring" most of the time. Fire isn't usually what kills people when stuff blows up. That said, this explosion would not look out of place...

          Movie explosions use gasoline because real explosions are "boring" most of the time. Fire isn't usually what kills people when stuff blows up.

          That said, this explosion would not look out of place in an action film, though they would slow the footage down a bit for impact.

          8 votes
          1. mild_takes
            Link Parent
            Other than the fact that the half the house collapsed after the explosion instead of exploding outward... other than that I'd say that this looks more spectacular than what you'd see in a movie,...

            Other than the fact that the half the house collapsed after the explosion instead of exploding outward... other than that I'd say that this looks more spectacular than what you'd see in a movie, which is shocking.

            2 votes
        2. Moogles
          Link Parent
          Being next door to that I can’t imagine would have been a safe experience. I wonder if any of the homes were evacuated since the guy was firing off stuff prior to that? It didn’t look like a movie...

          Being next door to that I can’t imagine would have been a safe experience. I wonder if any of the homes were evacuated since the guy was firing off stuff prior to that?

          It didn’t look like a movie explosion in the sense movies usually do really big fireballs. This one blew the roof off the house which was pretty wild to see.

          3 votes
    2. [5]
      Comment deleted by author
      Link Parent
      1. [4]
        LorenzoStomp
        Link Parent
        Oh, yeah, that is like...all the way exploded. No part of that house did not explode.

        Oh, yeah, that is like...all the way exploded. No part of that house did not explode.

        15 votes
        1. [3]
          MimicSquid
          Link Parent
          Given how prone to hyperbole the internet is I was expecting something a little less cinematic, but yeah, that was really exploded.

          Given how prone to hyperbole the internet is I was expecting something a little less cinematic, but yeah, that was really exploded.

          11 votes
          1. [3]
            Comment deleted by author
            Link Parent
            1. [2]
              arch
              Link Parent
              That explosion was absolutely huge; I honestly don't know what could cause that other than a deliberate pile of explosives. My first guess would be a natural gas leak (maybe he deliberately broke...

              I really wanna know what the hell happened. Did the guy just have a vendetta against the police? Why was he firing flares into the neighborhood?

              That explosion was absolutely huge; I honestly don't know what could cause that other than a deliberate pile of explosives. My first guess would be a natural gas leak (maybe he deliberately broke a line, or maybe one was hit with a stray projectile). But the amount of smoke and smouldering going on seems too high for a natural gas explosion.

              This article mentions that gas was cut off to the home before the explosion occurred, so unless it was leaking for a long time that wasn't the cause.

              5 votes
              1. Eji1700
                Link Parent
                My first thought was "meth lab" but i'm not sure they blow up quite like that. Really crazy.

                My first thought was "meth lab" but i'm not sure they blow up quite like that. Really crazy.

                2 votes