VIDEO: Neighbor Recounts Horrors of Apartment Explosion

Chris Fisher has not slept much since the horrific scene that unfolded after his neighbor's Saturday.

Fisher, 30, lives in Apartment A of a five-unit complex on the 3600 block of Silver Oaks Way. A police likely led to the explosion in Apartment B, which critically burned three people who were inside at the time.

"I was sleeping, and it felt like someone picked up my bed and threw me across the room," Fisher said in a Monday interview with Livermore Patch.

What happened next has led Fisher, who was not physically harmed, to seek mental health treatment.

"I've never seen anyone burned that bad in life," he said. "Myself — I've lost two nights of sleep."

Critically burned in the explosion were Evan D. Aviles, 21, and his girlfriend, 22-year-old Lexie Miriyah Hutson. Aviles lives in the apartment where the explosion occurred.

San Jose resident Paul Lom, 35, also was injured in the explosion.

Fisher was the first person to see the three burn victims. He immediately tried to help and screamed for others to call 9-1-1.

"It was to the point where she looked like pretty much a zombie. Skin was falling off of her face, off of her body while she was talking," he said. "It was a state of confusion, pandemonium and everyone was scared."

The injured people were taken by ambulance to nearby  and then airlifted by helicopters to hospitals.

Aviles was taken to UC Davis Medical Center. Hutson and Lom were taken to Valley Medical Center in San Jose.

Ryan Hout, Aviles' godbrother, visited the scene Monday morning.

"I wanted to see for myself," he said. "They are all still in critical condition. I'm still in disbelief."

The city's building inspector listed the burned building as uninhabitable, and four other families living in the complex have been relocated, officials said.

Fisher has been staying with friends.

Dawn Fabyan is one of the residents forced to relocate. She and her son live in the apartment above the destroyed unit.

The two were watching TV when the explosion hit. They thought a heavy earthquake had rocked the area.

Fabyan, who has been staying with her mother in Livermore, went Monday to gather some of her belongings and to check on her pet lizard.

She was allowed to visit her apartment with several building inspectors.

Relocated residents have been told that they may be able to move back in about two months. The explosion and fire caused about $350,000 in damage to three of the five units in the building.

Fabyan said the night before the explosion there was a strong smell of marijuana in the area.

"If you're going to smoke weed, then smoke weed," she said. "But don't mess around with flammable stuff, especially with kids around."

There are several incidents a year, according to news reports, of fires and explosions caused when drug users use flammable substances to attempt to extract oil from marijuana leaves to get a highly concentrated form of cannabis extract.  

Livermore police Lt. Mike Peretti declined to comment Monday morning on whether marijuana played a role in the explosion. On Sunday, he told Livermore Patch that investigators had ruled out a methamphetamine lab as a cause of the explosion.

The apartment has been taped off, and debris from the explosion is scattered throughout the complex parking lot.

"Even if it was these people's own fault...I hope that they get better," Fisher said. "My prayers go out to their family and everyone involved. It was a horrific scene. Enough to change anybody, that's for sure."