Explosion rumbles Gages Lake neighborhood

A midafternoon explosion - possibly triggered by a natural gas leak - ripped through a house in the Gages Lake neighborhood Tuesday afternoon.

There were no injuries and no one was home at the time of the explosion, fire officials said. However, the blast caused extensive damage to the house and another dwelling next door.

Grayslake firefighters responded to a call for an explosion and fire at a home in the 33000 block of North Lake Shore Drive at about 2:30 p.m. They arrived to find the house fully engulfed in flames and the entire garage blown to pieces.

"The noise rocked my house and I live four houses away," said neighbor Darin Varsek. "The garage was completely flattened when I got there."

Varsek was first on the scene and took a quick look through the blown out windows of the house to see if anyone was trapped inside.

The smell of natural gas was heavy in the area as crews fought the blaze. An investigation is under way, but early indications point to natural gas as the source of the blast, Grayslake Deputy Fire Chief Greg Formica said.

The explosion also set fire to the house next door, causing major damage. Debris could be seen on the roofs of the 1950s-era homes nearly 60 feet away.

One neighbor said he heard the blast while he was at the College of Lake County almost a half-mile away.

Sharon Borin lives three doors away and said the noise rattled her windows.

"It was a big boom. A really giant boom," Borin said. "I thought something hit my house."

Damage to the two homes is estimated to be at least $400,000 Formica said.