One man who neighbors say lived at a home to help both of his cancer-stricken parents has died after an explosion in the home garage Thursday night.
The explosion happened just before 11:30 p.m. on the 700 block of East Oakmont Street in the city of Orange, police said.
The man was identified as 47-year-old Erik Christensen by the Orange County Coroner's office.
"I just heard a boom and ran out thinking it was a car crash or something, then came over here and saw smoke," neighbor Eric Lahr said.
Residents in the neighborhood rushed to the home to see what happened and discovered a small fire. A neighbor attempted to use a hose and douse the flames with water, but that appeared to spread it, a neighbor said.
The garage door was blown off the house and shards of glass were scattered all over the street.
"I noticed on the couch in the garage the young man was in there expired. He was badly burned. It looked like, it looked like a bomb had gone off," neighbor John Pritchett said. "(From) what I saw, he was completely charred, and from the waist down there was severe damage."
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According to Pritchett, the victim was a man in his 40s who lived in the home with his adult son and his parents, both of whom were battling cancer.
Officials said they found explosive materials inside the garage, but the cause of the explosion is unclear.
