Lake Zurich house explosion: Body recovered from rubble identified
LAKE ZURICH, Ill. - Update (Friday, June 7):
A 77-year-old man who was found deceased after a house explosion in suburban Lake Zurich has been identified.
Timothy Toczylowski died from injuries "consistent with inhalation of products of combustion," according to the Lake County Coroner's Office. Toxicology testing is still pending.
Toczylowski's remains were recovered inside the home following the explosion and were identified by a forensic ondontologist who conducted a dental exam and compared it to Toczylowski's dental records.
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
Original:
A body was recovered after a house explosion Tuesday night in suburban Lake Zurich.
The explosion "completely leveled" the home around 8:30 p.m. in the 23500 block of North Overhill Road in unincorporated Lake Zurich, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
The explosion rocked the Forest Lake neighborhood with some residents saying they felt it on the streets, others said the force knocked pictures off the walls. The flames from the explosion reached the treetops, fed by natural gas from the home.
The body of a man was pulled from the rubble, but he has not yet been identified by the Lake County Coroner's Office. The homeowner, a 77-year-old man, was unaccounted for after the explosion, officials said.
Autopsy results show that the man died from "inhalation of products of combustion," according to the Lake County Medical Examiner. Toxicology and carbon monoxide testing results are still pending.
Nicor engineers dug to find the gas line and shut it off. Firefighters had to set up a rural water operation because the area had no fire hydrants.
"We then deployed hose lines, to prevent the neighboring houses from catching on fire. At the same time, we also set up the water supply operation to the north and to the south of the house so that the water tenders that came in could have the water pumped up by the fire engines to the scene here to extinguish the fire," Lake Zurich Fire Chief David Pilgard said.
Two boys were playing basketball when the blast happened. A Ring video camera captured the moment flames lit up the sky, with the force of the blast knocking over one of the boys.
Ulises Hernandez, father of one of the boys, said the explosion was too close for comfort.
"It was pretty scary to see that happen because anything could have happened. Debris could have hit him. There's multiple items that have blown and hit the other building, if they were playing on [the other] side anything could have happened," Ulises Hernandez said.
Residents told FOX 32 the neighbor who lived in the house that exploded was cordial but that he kept to himself.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Fire Investigators, Lake Zurich Rural Fire Protection District, and Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal are investigating.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.