Cause of house explosion on Lake Zurich is being investigated – NBC Chicago

The cause of a fatal house explosion in a northwest Chicago suburb is still under investigation, officials said.

At a press conference hours after the horrifying incident, Lake Zurich Fire Chief David Pilgard said firefighters faced numerous obstacles in extinguishing the flames following the explosion and protecting surrounding homes.

“Explosions of this kind – and we have not yet identified the cause of what happened – can be very serious and can destroy a house like this,” Pilgard said.

According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the fatal explosion occurred around 8:30 p.m. in the 23500 block of North Overhill Road.

A video captures the horrific moment when a house in a Chicago suburb suddenly exploded, killing one person inside, sending debris flying into the air, and sending children playing basketball outside running for help.

Firefighters and rescue crews were called to the scene of an explosion and found “a completely leveled house” upon arrival, the sheriff’s office said.

Pilgard stressed that there is no longer any danger to the community as the gas lines to the house have been turned off and the air quality has been tested. However, as there is no clear explanation for the incident, some residents are concerned.

“I have spoken to members of the community and assured them that we will do our best to find the cause,” Pilgard said.

Meanwhile, firefighters who arrived on the scene had to battle the flames despite the fact that there were no fire hydrants in the community. The home’s gas meter was also damaged in the explosion, meaning Nicor ​​Gas had to expose the gas line to the home to shut it off, Pilgard said.

One person was killed in a house explosion in a northwest Chicago suburb Tuesday night, authorities said. Sandra Torres reports.

Officials were working to confirm the identity and medical information of the man who was found dead in the home after the explosion.

The homeowner, a 77-year-old man, was missing after the explosion, but officials said Wednesday morning that the body of an adult man had been recovered from the rubble.

The horrific moment of the explosion was captured on video from surveillance cameras in a nearby house.

In the video, two children are seen playing basketball in a driveway when flames shoot out of a house. The children run for help while neighbors leave their homes to see what happened.

“Call 911,” one person is heard shouting.

Ulises Hernandez, whose cameras captured the footage, said he was at home watching television with his wife when the explosion occurred.

“We heard a loud bang that shook the house. We panicked. We knew the kids were outside,” he told NBC Chicago. “We looked back to see if they were on the trampoline, but they weren’t there. So we immediately ran out. I heard my wife screaming and calling 911.”

Hernandez’s son Emanuel was one of the children seen playing basketball at the time of the explosion.

“A huge wave of fear, a frightening situation. I never thought I would experience anything like this,” he said.

One person was killed in a house explosion in a northwest Chicago suburb Tuesday night, authorities said. Sandra Torres reports.

Despite the severity of the explosion, there was no major damage to the surrounding houses, Pilgard said.

“It’s good that no other houses suffered major damage. Some debris fell on the other houses and they suffered even more heat damage from the fire,” he said.