A deadly explosion rocked a Crestwood, Illinois, neighborhood on Thursday afternoon, with natural gas suspected as the underlying cause. According to WGN-TV, a man was killed in the explosion that leveled his home on Kenneth Court, with the incident occurring around 2 p.m.
Fire officials provided an update on Friday morning, believing the explosion and subsequent fire were the result of a natural gas explosion. CBS SkyWatch footage showed the extent of the destruction, with the home reduced to smoking debris. Crestwood Fire Chief Jonathan Newton indicated that the recovery efforts had transitioned due to the extensive damage and the likelihood of fatality at the scene.
The resident of the home, a 76-year-old man who neighbors claim had been living there since the early 1990s, was inside at the time and did not survive. His identity has not been formally released pending the ongoing investigation, but his body was eventually located in the remainder of the home's basement by 8:15 p.m., as reported by WGN-TV.
Residents in the vicinity were jarred by the blast, with one neighbor, Alicia Fabian, recalling the impact as if it were "an earthquake" and the subsequent smell hitting "you in the face." As the fire raged following the explosion, firefighting crews were cautious about getting too close due to the risk involved, "The main thing we don't want to get anybody hurt, right?" Newton said in a statement obtained by CBS Chicago. The nearby properties were also impacted, with one neighbor's fence toppled over, and another's house scorched, though it is believed to be repairable.
The local community expressed their sorrow over the loss of the resident, with one neighbor, Tom Andersen, telling CBS Chicago, "Poor guy." Donna O'Keefe, another neighbor, spoke to the suddenness of the tragedy: "You're here one second, you're gone the next." Nicor and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are involved in the investigation, which remains ongoing, to determine the official cause of the explosion. In the meantime, Nicor crews were seen assessing the neighborhood to ensure no other lines were compromised, as neighbors sought reassurance in the wake of the devastating event.
