Fire officials confirm an explosion was responsible for leveling a large Pickering home which sent one man to hospital with serious burns.
Fire Chief John Hagg told Global News the fire which broke out on Monday around 2 p.m. was in connection to an explosion which flattened the home.
Skye Lorimer, a supervisor with the Office of the Fire Marshal, said the blaze started as a result of the explosion and firefighters are still battling hotspots.
Both the Ontario Fire Marshal and Durham Regional Police are on scene of the York Durham Lane property to determine what happened around the time of the blaze.
Officials expect the investigation to take at least two days to complete.
Hagg said they believe the man who was taken to hospital was a resident of the home.
Road closures remain in effect to allow heavy equipment into the area to pick apart the scene and assist with the investigation.
According to the Landpower Real Estate LTD website, the four-year-old home was up for sale in 2017 and described as a luxurious, executive, custom-built home.