BREAKING NEWS: House explodes in Kenosha 1/17/08

[Chubbyhubby]

House Explodes in Kenosha
By Jay Sorgi

http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/13861277.html

Story Created: Jan 17, 2008

Story Updated: Jan 17, 2008

A house exploded around 7:00 a.m. this morning on the south side of Kenosha.



The house was located on the 4100 block of 32nd Avenue, near the Washington Park Golf Course.



"I just heard a very loud boom," said Jim Wester, who lives in the area.



"It sounded like somebody had opened and slammed one of our house doors. It made the floor and the house shake."



Reports have come in saying the house was vacant, but some homes have been effected in the area.

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[GrnBay007]

vacant house? meth lab?

[K-town]

As a native Kenoshan, I generally consider 41st and 32nd to be on the "north" side of town. Southside is everything south of Lincoln Park, Uptown runs from 63rd to 50th, and everything north is the North side. But that's just one jaded Tremper grad's point of view. :P
I do know that north of 52nd Street and west of 30th Ave has some tough neighborhoods. I would guess more crack than meth. Meth is more out in the western part of the county.

[GrnBay007]

I just mentioned a meth lab as they are known to explode on occasion. ...and vacant house...what better place. It was just a wild guess. I have no idea what that area is like.

[Scott Campbell]

It was just a wild guess. I have no idea what that area is like.

I hear its booming.

[K-town]

Gas leak to blame for house explosion
Jan. 17, 2008
By Mark Hornickel, Kenosha News, Updated 12:17 p.m.

An apparent gas explosion flatted a Kenosha home Thursday morning and stunned neighbors, but no one was injured.

Kenosha police and firefighters were called about 7:28 a.m. to the ranch home at 4114 32nd Ave., and found the home blown apart, with only the framework of a back bedroom left standing. Palm-sized pieces of glass were spread across the street, and reports said some debris was found as far as a block away.

Kenosha fire battalion chief John Poltrock said firefighters immediately extinguished small areas of fire on the destroyed home, in addition to some flames on houses to the north and south of the destroyed home.

The house, which had been a rental property, had been vacant for several months, authorities said.

“Just to look at the wreckage and the blast field and the debris that was blown both north and south and off into the field, the force of damage that was done to both of the adjoining structures, and the fact that had anyone been in there, it would have been very doubtful they could have survived such an explosion,” Poltrock said. “Overall we’re very fortunate that no one was injured or seriously hurt in all this.”

Detecting a hissing sound from gas, firefighters evacuated residents and a city bus provided temporary shelter for them. We Energies shut off gas and electrical service and most residents were allowed back in their homes shortly afterward.

[MJZiggy]

That's the update I was hoping for. Thank God no one was injured.

[Cheesehead Craig]

A sudden gas leak on a rental that had been vacant for a while in a real soft housing and rental market? Insurance scam.

[superfan]

Nice reporting. I've never heard of a house getting "flatted" before.

Wonder if this is one of those situations where someone was stealing copper...

[LL2]

As a native Kenoshan, I generally consider 41st and 32nd to be on the "north" side of town. Southside is everything south of Lincoln Park, Uptown runs from 63rd to 50th, and everything north is the North side. But that's just one jaded Tremper grad's point of view. :P
I do know that north of 52nd Street and west of 30th Ave has some tough neighborhoods. I would guess more crack than meth. Meth is more out in the western part of the county.

Kenosha is my hometown as well. It doesn't make the news too often.