Click the image to watch the early video from Bushnell, Illinois.
This is from Wednesday. FireCritic.com also posted this story.
In the image above the fire is spreading to the home on Side D. The exposure on Side B suffered melted siding. Click here for pictures of the aftermath.
Here are details from an article by the AP:
“Thanks to all our friends and family for all that they’ve done for us.”
Words cannot express how Bradley Thompson and his wife Megan feel after they lost everything they own when their home exploded Wednesday afternoon.
Bradley was home when he started smelling natural gas. At first he shrugged it off, because contractors were doing work right outside and the smell wasn’t so strong, but things took a turn for the worse. He said the smell got stronger, a gurgling sound was coming from his kitchen sink, and he started to get a headache.
“I decided to take the puppies and go to the garage where the odor wouldn’t be as strong,” Thompson said.
Not too long after he had reached his garage, his home exploded.
“There was an incredible force, and thankfully I was able to escape when the garage door was blown open,” he said.
“A very loud explosion.”
That’s what Bushnell fire chief and neighbor Brent Glisan heard Wednesday afternoon. Glisan lives right behind the Thompsons. He said the entire house was engulfed in a fireball and debris and household items scattered all over the lawn. The fire was so intense, it spread to a neighboring home, gutting it and damaged another. The
The town was also on alert after gas was detected in several homes, prompting an evacuation. Contractors working on a water main, cut a gas line, causing it to leak. That triggered the explosion.
Residents who lived near the Thompsons were given the all clear to return home. A representative from Bushnell’s municipal department was not available for comment. But Fire Chief Brent Glisan tells us the incident is under investigation by the Illinois commerce commission.
Also on STATter911 …
- House explodes as firefighters arrive on scene of gas leak call. Five injured in Poland, Ohio. – February 13, 2010
- Reported backdraft at Maryland house fire. Prince George’s County firefighters mounting an interior attack were uninjured. Explosion blows firefighters more than 15 feet. – November 30, 2009
- Collapse zone: The must see video from Belgium after a gas explosion at an apartment building. – January 27, 2010
- More on the death of Steven Koeser. Details on the dumpster explosion that killed the firefighter from Wisconsin’s St. Anna Fire Department. – December 31, 2009
For a small town (3200) vollie dept not a bad job. Went to work on exposures and didn’t get caught up attacking the body of fire (moth to flame.
You must have watched a different video than I did.
WOW!!!!
I saw a comment yesterday on the Shererville,In. fire video. This video from Bushnell a population of only 3,000, in six minutes had at least 3 rigs on the scene with enough firemen to do a decent job. And they did a great job, for what they had. Shererville, with a population over 30,000 and that is the fire dept you get. Just watch both videos, and by the mens actions you should be able to decide which state actually trains their men and uses their tax dollars wisely. I love Illinois. I have to totally agree with ed.
1st line should haven been deployed on exposure C1 (1 story home that had the B side burnin)
Not too too bad of a job overall but the 1st engine in looked like rookies throwin water on the bonfire.
At least i hope somebody did a 360 to see if anybody was layin in the back yard like they were barbequed.
correct that to D1 exposure
What you don’t understand is that Bushnell is a small farming and industrial town. Pop. 3,221. Most of the volunteer FireFighter’s either are farmers or work in factories all over town. They have to get out of the fields to respond or leave the factories, get to thier vehicles, drive to the fire dept, put on thier gear, start the trucks, and go, Besides if you listen closely there is a train going threw town at the time, The train tracks split the town in half. We have farmers and factories on both side of town, along with two fire stations on both sides. They called in mutual aid, Prairie City 15 min drive, Good Hope-Sciota 15 to 25 min. drive, Macomb and Emmet-Chalmers 25 to 30 min drive,Adair 20 to 25 min. drive. They bitch about not putting the water on part A instead of Part B. Part A is gone, Part B is still there, they have a chance to save Part B, But no chance saving Part A. If you ask me i think Bushnell Firemen and the other depts. did an amazing job!!!!! I lived in Bushnell most of my life and I have been on Fire Depts. So I know what a small town is like, Bushnell pulls together to help one another out. Thats what i love about Bushnell.