At least 7 people were hurt after an explosion at a nail salon west of Baltimore, fire officials said.
It happened Monday night at Libra Nails & Spa in Woodlawn, Maryland.
Someone called police about 9:15 p.m. for a "criminal complaint" before a minor explosion went off, NBC's Baltimore affiliate, WBAL-TV, reported.
Baltimore County officers responded and encountered a person who refused to leave, police said in a news release. He refused to follow officers’ commands and ran to the back of the store where he started a fire that produced an explosion, police said.
Firefighters found smoke coming from the rear of the salon and extinguished a fire quickly, fire officials said. The blaze did not spread to neighboring businesses, but they were damaged by the blast, officials said.
An image shared on social media by the Baltimore County Fire Department showed disarray through the nail salon's front windows, including what appeared to be fallen ceiling fixtures. Small pieces of debris were strewn across the sidewalk and parking spaces in front of the building.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
The man was taken into custody, then taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said. The man, who is believed to be a former employee at the salon, remained at the hospital Tuesday, according to detective Trae Corbin. Police and fire officials are investigating and charges are pending, police said.
Four officers and two volunteer EMS personnel were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, and all but one officer had been released by Tuesday, officials said.
There may be hazardous materials inside the building, and police were telling people to avoid the area.
