SUV explodes in supermarket parking lot after man lights cigarette near propane tank

A man living in an SUV was injured but survived when his vehicle, which contained butane canisters, exploded as he tried to light a cigarette on the night of Thursday, May 23.

The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. local time at a shopping mall in Van Nuys, California, when an unidentified 37-year-old man attempted to light a cigarette near a Toyota 4-Runner, said the Los Angeles Fire Department, according to KTLA. 5, The Los Angeles TimesNBC 4 Los Angeles and CBS affiliate KCAL.

When first responders arrived on scene in the 7200 block of Van Nuys Boulevard, they found that the vehicle had exploded and the man had suffered moderate burns. The man told authorities he was trying to light a cigarette when the explosion occurred, KCAL reports.

The sound of the explosion could be heard several blocks away, witness Ken Smith told KCAL. Smith, who lives near the parking lot, said the explosion was “like an earthquake shaking the windows” but “was gone as soon as it started.”

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The man was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The LAFD transferred the incident to the Los Angeles Police Department because no active fire was present, an LAFD spokesperson told PEOPLE.

The LAPD closed the parking lot. No other people were injured and no other vehicles were damaged.

PEOPLE has reached out to the LAPD for more information.