Northern Illinois home explosion forces evacuation of hundreds
Resident injured in gas explosion at Dixon home
At about 6 a.m. Monday morning, firefighters responded to a gas explosion in Dixon, Illinois. One person is being treated for injuries.
DIXON - A home explosion in northern Illinois forced the evacuation of 300 to 400 residents Monday and left one person with serious injuries, authorities said.
The backstory:
The explosion occurred around 6 a.m. in the 1500 block of Estates Road in the Chateau Estates community near Dixon.
According to the Dixon Police Department, one person was inside the home when the explosion occurred and suffered serious injuries.
The victim was taken to OSF Saint Katharine Medical Center in Dixon. Additional information about the person's condition was not immediately available.
Authorities ordered the evacuation of the entire Chateau Estates community after elevated gas levels were detected throughout the park. The evacuation affects 106 addresses and an estimated 300 to 400 residents.
Police said residents could go back to their residences around 5 p.m., but natural gas service is unavailable.
"Additional testing will be conducted by Nicor Gas in the morning and Nicor will communicate directly with residents regarding the plan and timeline for restoring gas service," police said.
An emergency shelter was established at Reagan Middle School, and transportation was provided for residents in need by the Reagan Mass Transit District.
What's next:
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by the Dixon Illinois Police Department.