1 believed dead in Crestwood house explosion, fire; natural gas is suspected cause

One person is believed to have died in a suspected gas explosion and fire at a house in southwest suburban Crestwood, Illinois.

Crestwood Fire Chief Jonathan Newton said crews were called to the 14100 block of South Kenneth Court shortly after 2 p.m.

CBS SkyWatch was over the scene, which showed the home reduced to smoking tinder. Debris from the apparent explosion were scattered across the yards, driveways and roofs of the homes on either side.

Newton said a 76-year-old man lived alone at the home and was home at the time of the explosion. He said they believe he died in the explosion and fire, and their rescue operations have now switched to a recovery effort.

There appeared to be a small structure, possibly a garage, in the home’s back yard that was less damaged. A fence shared with a neighbor had been knocked over and it’s possible that structures on the property next door were also damaged. It was not immediately clear if that debris was from the home where the fire and apparent explosion occurred, or if it was a structure on the neighboring property.

Cell phone video shot by neighbors show flames shooting from the wreckage after the explosion. Neighbors said they felt the shaking and heard the explosion from several blocks away.

“I was home at about 2 o’clock, and sitting on the couch watching TV, and all of a sudden, it was nothing else but—it went kaboom!” said Tom Andersen. “I mean, a loud explosion.”

“It’s awful. It’s horrible. I mean, my prayers go out to the family. You know, how devastating,” said Donna O’Keefe. “I mean it’s just, you’re here one second, you’re gone the next. I mean, it was that fast.”

Newton said an adjacent property was damaged by the blast, but he believes it is repairable.

Nicor is at the scene, and gas has been shut off to the property.

While Newton said all the signs he sees at the scene point to a gas explosion, the official cause of the explosion and fire remain under investigation. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is at the scene and assisting with the investigation.

Firefighters spent some time walking the wreckage searching for hotspots, but by 4 p.m., there was no more smoke rising from what was left of the house.

More from CBS News