DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. -- Local 10 has learned that last year inspectors found more than a dozen violations on the liquid propane gas system that exploded at a Deerfield Beach apartment Thursday morning. Local 10's Roger Lohse also reports fire officials never followed up to make sure those violations were repaired.

The explosion happened just after 5:30 a.m. at the Deerfield East Apartments, located at 1325 SE Eighth Ave.

At least 10 people were injured in the fire, including two firefighters, Local 10 reported. Four of the eight residents were transported to North Broward Medical Center. The others were treated at the scene.

Firefighters were searching the debris for residents who might be trapped, but crews were called out of the building while structural engineers determined whether it was safe to go back inside. Miami-Dade police provided two golden Labrador retrievers, one trained to search for human remains and another trained to detect accelerants but neither dog found what they were looking for.

The explosion occurred in a third-floor apartment, according to authorities. The residents of the apartment were not home at the time.

Fire investigators said two propane tanks that fuel the apartment's stoves, dryers and hot water heaters might have caused the blaze. They believe there was a leak somewhere in the system that created a buildup of gas in one of the units. Detectives aren't sure what sparked the gas but say it could have been something as simple as an air conditioning thermostat or some other electric appliance.

In March of 2006, inspectors with the Deerfield Beach Fire Department found 14 violations with the building's propane system. It's unclear what those violations were or if any of them contributed to Thursday's explosion, Lohse reported. When asked why there was no follow-up inspection to make sure the violations were fixed, a fire official who didn't want to be identified told Local 10 that it was because of "insufficient manpower."

Several residents were trapped in the building. One woman said her trapped husband was forced to jump from a third-floor window. Another woman who was transported to the hospital said the roof fell on top of her, injuring her knee.

Benny Epps and his dog, Miko, were among the 140 displaced residents huddled under a parking garage across the street from a nearby Target.

"When I first left the apartment, I didn't know what was going on, so I left my dog in her travel cage," said Epps. "And then the police came up and were yelling, 'Everybody get out of the building. Everybody get out.' So I had to go back in and get her."

Tommy Williams said he managed to get out with only the clothes on his back, his caged birds and his Bible.

"I lost everything," said Williams.

The American Red Cross was providing food and clothing for the victims. Only about 60 of the total number of people displaced are in need of housing assistance. The rest have apparently found shelter with family and friends. Those with no place to go will spend the night a shelter set up by the Red Cross.

"We dealt with Hurricane Wilma," said Alana Segall, a Red Cross volunteer. "That's what we train for, and everybody is getting ready now to gear up to deal with the needs of the people who have been affected," she said.