A woman who was inside a Santa Maria house that exploded last week due to a natural gas leak is in critical condition, according to an update provided by authorities.
The woman, 83, sustained burn injuries in an explosion characterized by fire officials as "accidental in nature," Jacob Dizon of KSBY reported last week.
Fire officials said the leak originated in the kitchen and was caused by an open natural gas outlet.
Another woman, who was in an adjacent home when the explosion happened, was extricated and is in stable condition, according to authorities.
Nearly two dozen other houses were damaged in the explosion, some severely, including a few with red tags — deemed unsafe to occupy.
The explosion took place at Hancock Village in northeast Santa Maria on Wednesday, Aug. 23.
