One person died and two others were injured, including one flown to the hospital with serious injuries, after a fiery explosion rocked Wonder Lake, leveling a home and damaging two others Sunday evening.
The Wonder Lake Fire Protection District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 7:50 p.m. Sunday to the 7400 block of Birch Drive in Wonder Lake for a report of a structure fire and house explosion.
Wonder Lake Fire Chief Matt Yegge said fire crews arrived on the scene in under two minutes.
They encountered an active house fire with significant damage and multiple injured victims.
Firefighters immediately initiated both fire suppression operations and emergency medical care for the injured, Yegge said.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the box alarm to bring additional fire and EMS resources to the scene due to the severity of the incident.
Sheriff’s deputies first on the scene reported two elderly residents were unaccounted for, according to police radio traffic.
Deputies rescued one of them but reported another was still trapped.
Firefighters located one victim dead at the scene, Yegge said. Two additional victims were transported to area hospitals.
One of the victims was seriously injured and a LifeNet medical helicopter was requested to land nearby at Wonder Lake Fire Station #1.
An ambulance transported the injured person to the landing zone and transferred them to the flight crew.
The helicopter flew the victim to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, which has a specialized burn center.
The explosion and subsequent fire also caused damage to two neighboring houses.
Firefighters worked to contain the fire and prevent further extension, Yegge said.
The house that exploded was left completely leveled and destroyed, with large pieces of the home thrown around the area. The home’s detached garage remained standing.
Thomas Koch, who lives a half-mile away from the scene, told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that he heard the explosion, which sounded like a “massive boom” that shook the area.
“Shortly afterward, I could hear nonstop sirens as fire trucks and ambulances continued heading toward the scene. Seeing the large flames and thick smoke from that distance was honestly unbelievable,” he said.
Numerous other residents in Wonder Lake also reported hearing the explosion. “It shook our whole house 2.5 blocks away and all the neighbors felt it too,” one resident said.
Other residents who live in the area said they thought a vehicle had struck their house based on how loud the explosion was.
“We are two blocks away and it was raining paper on fire and a whole bunch of ashes. A bunch of mortgage papers,” another resident said.
“The Wonder Lake Fire Protection District extends its deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragic event. We would also like to express our sincere appreciation to our mutual aid partners who responded and provided critical assistance,” the fire chief said.
Investigators from MABAS Division 5, the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are jointly conducting an investigation.