April 26--A large explosion leveled a home in a northwest suburban subdivision Friday night, prompting an emergency response from multiple jurisdictions and startling residents in neighboring communities miles away.
About 10:40 p.m., an explosion was reported at Trenton Court and Wellington Drive in the Royal Melbourne subdivision in Long Grove, Sgt. Gianni Giamberduca of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said.
First responders found a home had been leveled and several nearby homes had caught fire, Giamberduca said.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities, he said, cautioning that the investigation is far from complete.
"The incident is fluid, and obviously the detectives and deputies will be working throughout the night," he said.
Early indications were that the explosion had been caused by natural gas, Giamberduca said.
About 12:30 a.m., a man standing in front of a closed gate outside the subdivision said no pedestrians or drivers, including residents, were being allowed inside.
The man, who declined to identify himself but was carrying a walkie talkie, said officials were investigating the blast as a natural gas explosion. He declined to provide further details.
Several residents reported a large blast that shook homes in neighboring suburbs.
"It sounded like a huge explosion," said Carole Keith, who said she lives in Vernon Hills, about a mile and a half from the site of the explosion. "It felt like a furnace in my house -- my own house -- had exploded."
The explosion brought hundreds of people outside their homes, Keith said. Smoke and debris were visible from roads close to the site of the blast, said the Vernon Hills resident, who drove closer to assess the situation and was turned away by police and fire officials.
"It just smelled like a whole bunch of things had been burnt together," she said.
Police at the Buffalo Grove Police Department's headquarters, more than four miles away, felt the ground shake, said Officer Robert Sizer, a desk officer at the station.
Buffalo Grove police were called to the scene to help local first responders, Sizer said. Local authorities received hundreds of calls after the explosion, he said.
Check back for more information.
Tribune reporters Jim Jaworski, Taylor Goldenstein and Adam Sege contributed to this report.
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