$21K Raised After House Explosion That Injured 8 In IE

CHINO HILLS, CA — In the days following an explosion that devastated a home in the Inland Empire, injuring eight people, a community has helped to raise nearly $22,000.

The campaign, launched on GoFundMe, aims to raise $35,000 to help the Sotelo family of Chino Hills with medical and other expenses after they were displaced.

"The Sotelo family has been displaced and [is] currently staying in a hotel room," Laura Montague, a neighbor of the Sotelo family, who organized the fundraising effort this week. "This was a leased home. Needless to say, their needs are huge. They will need funds to keep a roof over their head as well as find a new place to call home."

Firefighters responded to the explosion around 3:45 p.m. on Sunday, according to the Chino Valley Fire District. The house sustained significant damage, and nearby homes were also damaged, the district said.

That afternoon, 16 homes were evacuated, according to the fire district, with the evacuations falling in the area of Sierra Vista Drive and Del Norte Avenue, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Jenny Smith wrote in an email.

According to Montague, the home exploded after an apparent gas leak.

"The family had just returned home and one of the children turned on a lamp," she wrote.

The explosion blew out windows and sent the home's garage door flying into a neighbor's yard across the street.

Eight people from the Sotelo household were hospitalized, with several people suffering second and third-degree burns. Two children had to be intubated, according to Montague.

On Sunday, four family members were taken by ambulance to a nearby burn center, while four others self-transported to a hospital, Montague said.

Three family dogs are also being looked after by neighbors, but they will need to be boarded until the family can find stable housing, according to the GoFundMe page.

"All donations will go directly to the mother of the family. Your help and prayers will be greatly appreciated," Montegue wrote. "We know our community is amazing when it comes to helping each other."

The GoFundMe campaign, "Support the Sotelo Family After Tragic Explosion Chino Hills," can be found here.