UPDATE: April 21 at 3:30 p.m.
A federal judge has rescheduled the preliminary and detention hearings for Jonathan O. Huff, moving the proceedings to a different city.
United States Magistrate Judge Edward B. Atkins issued an order on April 15 to move the hearings, which were originally set for 10 a.m. on April 22 at the United States Courthouse in Lexington.
The hearings will now take place on Friday, April 24, at 11 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Frankfort, Kentucky.
UPDATE: April 13 at 4:30 p.m.
Jonathan Huff is facing federal charges after an explosion and house fire on Sunday left him with severe burns and led investigators to discover illegally possessed firearms.
Huff is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to a federal criminal complaint, the Lexington Fire Department responded to a house fire in the 700 block of Orleans Circle around 7:45 a.m. Sunday.
Witnesses told law enforcement they heard two explosions before the fire. They reported seeing Huff flee the residence on foot carrying a black bag and saying he had to leave.
Huff reportedly left in a vehicle but later returned to the scene. He was taken to a hospital for severe burns to his hands and back.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lexington Police Department Hazardous Devices Unit investigated the scene. During an interview, Huff admitted to having a Glock pistol and an AR-style rifle.
Investigators executed a search warrant on his vehicle and recovered a 9mm pistol from a black backpack and a .556 caliber rifle.
Court documents show Huff was previously convicted of felony methamphetamine possession in Indiana in 2021, prohibiting him from possessing firearms.
UPDATE: April 12 at 2:45 p.m.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Louisville division has released a statement regarding an explosion that caused a house fire in Lexington on Sunday.
According to ATF, Lexington agents, including a special agent bomb technician, are on the scene at the 700 block of Orlean Circle investigating the explosion. There is no current threat to the community, and one suspect has been detained. The investigation remains ongoing.
"All of a sudden, it sounded like a cannon exploding," neighborhood resident Carol Bischoff said.
Bischoff described hearing the blast and seeing first responders arrive minutes later.
"I just saw the first responders going zip, zip," Bischoff said. "I came to the door and I saw them zoom, zoom. And I'm like oh god, that's nearby. There's something happened on my street or in my neighborhood."
Original story:
The Lexington Fire Department was dispatched around 7:45 a.m. on Sunday to reports of a structure fire at a Lexington home on the 700 block of Orlean Circle, near Alumni Drive.
According to officials, a preliminary investigation reveals that an explosion started the fire.
LEX 18 crews were on-scene around 8:05 a.m., and immediately noticed the foundation on the left side of the home was crumbling. While LEX 18 did not see flames, heavy smoke was exiting the roof of the building as fire crews sprayed the house down.
A neighbor reported to LEX 18 that they heard a loud bang at the time of the alleged explosion.
According to the fire department, four individuals were displaced from the fire, including two children. All four individuals were in the home at the time of the fire, but did not suffer life-threatening injuries. At least one resident was transported to a nearby hospital.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by officials. According to a press release by the Lexington Police Department, nearby residents will likely see a heavy presence of emergency personnel in the area for the next several hours.
"The Lexington Police Department's Hazardous Devices Unit, Lexington Fire Department Arson Investigators, FBI, and ATF are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire," the press release states.
Individuals with information about the incident are asked to contact the Lexington Police Department at (859) 258-3600. Anonymous tips can be submitted to the Bluegrass Crime Stoppers at (859) 253-2020, online at the Bluegrass Crime Stoppers' website, or through the P3 Tips app.
