An explosion rocked downtown Tarpon Springs at 12:12 a.m. Sunday, setting off a chain of chaos that included a stolen ambulance and fire set to a public street during the celebration of Greek Orthodox Easter in the city.

Tarpon Springs Police Cpt. Barb Templeton, speaking on behalf of Chief of Police Robert Kochen, released a statement Sunday afternoon condemning the troubling illegal activity in the city Saturday night: "If tradition threatens lives and destroys property, it is time to reconsider the traditions."

Officials said during the annual celebration of Greek Orthodox Easter, illegal fireworks are set off and homemade explosives, they called bombs, are often detonated around the city, including on the property of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral.

St. Nicholas Cathedral spokesperson Father Michael Eaccarino said the illegal activity in the area was not representative of what the large Greek community in the city stands for.

"We are not about to destroy anything that our forefathers have built, because that's not who we are."

"The explosion, blast, injuries and property damage that occurred this morning clearly illustrates why law enforcement must have zero tolerance for illegal fireworks and/or homemade explosives," Templeton said.

The explosion came from the roof of an empty business at 119 E. Tarpon Ave. The explosion could be felt and heard from at least a one block radius around the building, according to Tarpon Springs Police officials.

The explosion destroyed a shed that was on top of the building and several downtown businesses in the antique district sustained structural damage. The area around Tarpon Avenue was evacuated and shut down for more than 5 hours as officers, bomb technicians and forensics teams investigated.

At least two victims were injured by glass and debris from the explosion. Officials said many others, including residents in the area, were "terrorized" and narrowly missed being struck with glass and debris.

A witness said three people appeared to have been treated for injuries. A worker at The Zone Lounge nightclub said the building sustained serious damage.

Officials said bomb technicians stated no one being killed in the explosion was simply "dumb luck."

The Zone Lounge, adjacent to the empty building, normally had patrons on its second floor, but the owner had recently closed the floor to undergo renovation. Bomb technicians stated if patrons had been on the second floor, they would have been killed by the blast.

The nightclub was crowded at the time of the explosion.

"I was standing outside and I heard a couple of firecrackers go off and then a loud, huge boom went off," witness and nightclub employee Chris Sessler said. "The next thing you know, people are running out of the bar. The whole back of the bar, all the glass is broke[n] back there. All upstairs, busted to pieces."

Another witness said the explosion "knocked me right off the couch. I thought it was an earthquake," he said. "I'm thinking 2012 is over right now."

The Zone Lounge co-owner Chris Seslar reiterated the luck of having the second floor area closed prevented his patrons from being injured or killed.

"If someone would have been in those bathrooms, the devastation of the glass being blown in -- it's even stuck in the doors," Seslar said bluntly.

Seslar confirmed several patrons on the first floor of the nightclub were injured by flying glass.

Next door, resident Joe Young's apartment windows were blown out.

"All my furniture was pushed away from the windows, glass all over my bed," Young recounted. "I couldn't believe it."

YouTube video sent to us via Twitter by David Banther (@DLB7152) shows purported video of the flash and sound from the explosion, then people yelling following the explosion.

Banther said video came from a security camera in his office, two blocks from where the blast occurred.

Suspect steals ambulance from scene, tells officers his name is "Maggie," "Shadow," "Spartacus"

As first responders worked the explosion scene, a man stole a SunStar Ambulance. Officers used GPS to track the man and the ambulance to the area of Pine Street and the Pinellas Trail. The ambulance was found abandoned with its doors open and lights still flashing.

The suspect entered the Tarpon Springs Water Treatment Facility located nearby.

Officers confronted the suspect in a poorly lit area, officials said. The suspect allegedly held what were then unidentified objects in both hands.

Officers advised the suspect several times to "stop and get on the ground," but he charged toward them.

The suspect was tackled and continued to struggle with the officers, despite being Tased.

The objects in his hands were determined to be a flashlight and a potato. A tomato was also found in a back pocket. Officers stated the Taser did not seem to affect the man.

The suspect was taken to Florida Hospital North Pinellas, treated and released for booking into the Pinellas County Jail. The man has not been officially identified, but officials said he identified himself repeatedly as "Maggie," "Shadow" and "Spartacus."

The suspect has been charged with grand theft of an ambulance, burglary to the water treatment plant and resisting arrest with violence.

Unattended backpack found to have suspicious material

Following the blast, a bomb technician found an unattended backpack on Hibiscus Street, just north of Tarpon Avenue.

The street separates the St. Nicholas Cathedral from the business district.

X-rays of the backpack revealed suspicious material related to the explosion in the bag, officials said. The backpack and contents have been recovered for forensic evidence.

Fire set on street near explosion scene

In the same time frame, officials said an unknown suspect started a fire on the asphalt of Ring Avenue, near Tarpon Avenue. Officers described the flames as "up to three feet high."

Firefighters extinguished the fire. No injuries were sustained and no property was damaged.

A suspect has not been identified.

Reward offered for identification, arrests of suspects

The Tarpon Springs Police Department is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the identification and arrest of the person or persons responsible for "this reckless disregard for human life."

"Every effort has been made by the Tarpon Springs Police Department along with the other law enforcement agencies that assist, to preserve the peace, protect first responders and the public and put an end to this dangerous activity," Templeton said.