WASHINGTON — A house exploded outside Washington early Wednesday, hurtling two residents outside, police said.
The blast occurred just before 1:45 am at 24000 Farmdale Road, said Jeff Lower, chief deputy for the Tazewell County Sheriff's Department. Deputies arrived to find the property heavily strewn with debris, with the house fully ablaze, he said.
Also outside were two occupants — a couple — who had been flung outside by the explosion, Lower said. Neither suffered life-threatening injuries, though the wife apparently had severe burns and a broken leg, Lower said.
"You'd think that someone would die in something as bad as that," Lower said.
The couple, whose name was not immediately released by authorities, was taken to a hospital.
A son lives in the basement and usually is at home most nights at that time, Lower said. However, the son apparently had stayed late at work and was not home at the time of the explosion
Though area residents reported hearing a wee-hours blast, no other properties were damaged. The unincorporated area is a mix of farmland and residences.
"The homes aren't close, like they would be in a subdivision, Lower said.
Lower said detectives are looking into a gas leak as a possible cause. The Illinois State Fire Marshal is assisting the investigation.
More than six hours after the blast, the Northern Tazewell Fire Department remained on the scene, dousing hot spots. In fighting the blaze, the department was assisted by several surrounding firefighting crews.
Andy Kravetz is the Journal Star public safety reporter. He can be reached at 686-3283 and [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @andykravetz. Phil Luciano is a Journal Star columnist. He can be reached at [email protected],facebook.com/philluciano and 686-3155. Follow him on Twitter @LucianoPhil.
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