A home explosion in the northwest suburbs Sunday night left at least one person dead, according to officials, with others seriously injured and the destroyed home reduced to rubble and debris and other homes nearby also damaged.
The incident took place about 7:50 p.m. in McHenry County, in the 7400 block of Birch Drive in Wonder Lake, with the fire protection district dispatched for reports of a home explosion.
When crews arrived, the saw a home up in flames, with significant damage to the home and multiple victims, a release from the fire protection district said.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said, with two others transported to nearby hospitals. One of those hurt had to be airlifted by a medical helicopter due to the extent of their injuries, officials said.
According to officials, the explosion and fire that followed also caused damage at two neighboring homes. Videos and photos from the scene showed flames shooting up to the sky with multiple crews responding as neighbors watched on.
By morning, the entire home appeared to be collapsed, with the front door tossed onto a neighbor’s driveway.
One person was killed and two others were injured, with one victim airlifted to a nearby hospital.
“It was so loud,” said Linda Abernathy, who lives nearby. “This big bang. I just looked out to neighbor’s yard, and their house was just gone.”
According to the Wonder Lake Fire Protection District, the cause of the fire remained under investigation by the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and multiple fire and rescue districts from McHenry County.
No further details were provided.
