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Explosion that destroyed Plano home ‘may have been intentional,’ authorities say

The short update from the Plano Police Department gave no indication what about the explosion made police think it was intentional

This story was updated at 7:44 p.m. with information from people who live in the neighborhood.

The explosion in a Plano neighborhood this week that leveled one house, damaged several others and left six people hospitalized “may have been intentional,” authorities said Wednesday.

The short update from the Plano Police Department gave no indication what made police think Monday’s explosion could be intentional, or where it originated. Plano fire authorities said Tuesday that nothing about the explosion pointed toward a criminal act — instead blaming a gas leak.

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Police said Wednesday that the incident appeared to be “isolated,” and there were no further threats to the community. Plano police declined to provide further details, including information about whether anyone has been arrested.

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The explosion ripped through Cleveland Drive, near West Park Boulevard and Ohio Drive, shortly before 5 p.m. Monday. One house was destroyed, and the two others on either side of the home were severely damaged. Several other homes in the neighborhood had windows broken from the blast. The explosion left a piece of roof embedded in the yard across the street, and white insolation blanketed cars, homes and sidewalks nearby.

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Neighbors said in the hours after the blast that they thought it could have been caused by a lightning strike from a storm that was over the area at the time of the explosion.

Plano Fire-Rescue spokesperson Capt. Peggy Harrell said Tuesday that crews from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives surveyed the site, including with an explosive-detecting K9, but found no evidence of criminality. It was not clear Wednesday what changed.

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Late Wednesday, several neighbors said they were shocked that authorities now believe the explosion may have been intentional — and sought more clarity about what led to the blast.

Jacqueline Hammond, who lives on the street directly behind where the explosion occurred, said she was sleeping when she heard a loud “bang.” She said she thought someone had driven a truck into the house.

“I was surprised that somebody said it was intentional, but of course, they didn’t give us any reason why they thought it was intentional,” Hammond said.

Plano police and the Plano Fire Marshal are investigating the explosion, authorities said Wednesday.

Six people were injured, authorities said: one adult in the home that exploded, and two adults and three children in a neighboring home.

The identities of the people who were injured have not been released.

Staff Writer Hojun Choi contributed to this report.

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