On Friday night a house caught fire in suburban Long Grove and exploded with enough force the blast was felt miles away. No one was seriously injured in the explosion that destroyed one home, blew out the windows in neighbors' homes and caused minor damage further away.
Lake County Countryside Fire Protection Chief Jeff Steingart said the explosion shook his garage, which is two miles away from the scene. Originally called in at 10:40 p.m. Friday as a house fire, emergency crews were on their way when they heard the blast.
As crews worked to contain the fire into the early morning hours, a gas line shot flames several feet high. Insulation from the home was found as far away as a half mile.
A gas leak may be the culprit, but it is still under investigation, fire officials said. Steingart said a gas leak was being investigated in the neighborhood by a utility crew at the time of the explosion.
"[I'm] just amazed, with this amount of devastation, and everyone's here standing and talking about it and counting their blessings," Steingart said.
Several area fire departments responded to the explosion and fire.
