LEBANON, Ohio - Residents say they heard an explosion like a bomb going off before a fire that ripped through an Ohio townhome complex and injured seven people.


Fire officials in Lebanon (LEH'-buh-nuhn) tell The Cincinnati Enquirer that Tuesday night's fire resulted when a woman lit a cigarette in a unit where natural gas was leaking. The cause has been ruled accidental.

Three children and two adults were treated at a hospital and then released. A woman and a 13-year-old girl were taken to a hospital in Dayton, 24 miles away in southwest Ohio. Fire officials say both are expected to recover from their burns.

Ten units in a two-story building were either destroyed or heavily damaged. The American Red Cross is helping with shelter for displaced residents.

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Information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, http://www.enquirer.com


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