Chicago Crews Douse Blaze After House Explosion

July 24, 2012
Firefighters using a robotic camera to check the inside of the home for victims.

Firefighters were able to extinguish a blaze in a South Side home after what's believed to have been a natural gas explosion.

Part of the small home in the 9000 block of South Normal Avenue collapsed following the explosion and subsequent fire, which began about 9:30 a.m. It took about an hour for firefighters to get the blaze under control, because of the difficulty accessing the building.

No one was believed injured, and firefighters using a robotic camera to check the inside of the home for victims had found no one so far, Fire Department spokesman Chief Joe Roccasalva said about 11 a.m.

Firefighters were waiting for officials with the Buildings Department and the beginning of demolition to be able to search the premises more thoroughly, Roccasalva said.

Copyright 2012 - Chicago Tribune

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

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