Rockford, IL – Keshauna Johnson had signed the lease and had the keys in her hands last week as she contemplated moving into a home next door to her Kishwaukee Street apartment.
Fortunately, she changed her mind.
The unoccupied house in the 400 block of Kishwaukee street exploded this morning because of what fire officials are calling an apparent gas leak.
We could have been in there, Johnson said of herself and her four children. All I have been doing is crying and thanking Jesus for putting something in my head not to move in there. … I just had a funny feeling about it, and I’m glad we didn’t move.
Johnson described the blast, which happened just after 8 a.m., as a loud boom.
I thought a car had run into the home, she said.
When the Rockford Fire Department arrived to the two-story home, the front of the home had been blown out and was leaning against the rest of the structure, while other areas of the house had also collapsed.
District Chief Steve Bishop said the cause has not yet been determined, but said it appears to have been caused by a natural gas leak.
The owner was here yesterday and said he noticed nothing wrong with it, and said he was actually getting ready to rent it, Bishop said.
The home to the south of the explosion had damage to some interior walls, while buildings on both sides had windows blown out.
We are just very lucky that nobody was injured, Bishop said.
Bishop said crews have set up a collapse zone around the house and will bring in equipment to tear it down and remove the debris. The area between Second and Fifth avenues has been blocked off until the scene is deemed safe.