A fire gutted a downtown Tempe home over the weekend, injuring three firefighters and blowing the front door of the house about 25 feet onto Mill Avenue.
The blaze started around 10:40 p.m. Saturday at 1204 South Mill Avenue -- across from ASU and just south of the bars.
We happened to be in the area at the time and snapped some cell-phone-quality photos for our devoted Valley Fever readers.
Check out the pics after the jump.
Fire crews responded to the blaze, and once inside the 1,500-degree, brick house, an explosion happened.
As the flames roared through a hole in the top of the house -- and with firefighters inside -- gas from the intense smoke created a backdraft.
Then, boom!
The blast was so intense that the front door of the house was blown 25 feet into the road and a firefighter was blown about 15 feet into the yard.
Three firefighters received minor burns from the blast, but fire officials say it could have been much worse.
Tempe Fire investigator Mike Reichling says well-trained firefighters and high-tech equipment prevented further injury.
Fire crews aren't sure what started the blaze but say all fires are treated as arson until proven otherwise.
