An explosion in Stinson Beach Tuesday morning ignited a fire that destroyed two buildings and damaged two others, according to fire officials.
Two people suffered minor injuries, but they declined to be treated and were released from the debris-covered scene in the small coastal community in Marin County, fire officials said.
The incident, which was reported at 8:42 a.m., happened along the 3400 block of Shoreline Highway (Highway 1), according to fire officials.
Lute Keep was asleep when the explosion threw him from his bed.
"I thought the big earthquake finally hit San Francisco," he said.
The explosion blew the roof off an attorney's office, destroyed a real estate business and damaged other nearby buildings. It also sent debris flying 150 feet and shattered windows across the street.
Firefighters stationed nearby arrived quickly and were able to gain control of the blaze, but cleanup was likely to last most of the day, they said.
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Marin County Fire Department Battalion Chief Jeremy Pearce said an investigation is underway, but the explosion does not appear to be suspicious at this time. None of the buildings use natural gas, but there were a number of propane tanks in the area.
Pearce said the area would have been full of tourists had the explosion and fire happened later in the day.
"We certainly got lucky that there was nobody around and it was early in the morning," he said.
