Waukee, IA – Some quick thinking police officers came to the rescue in Waukee Tuesday. It was after a woman’s home exploded and she was trapped inside.
Waukee neighbors on the corner of 8th and Cherry woke up with a boom.
“We were getting my daughter ready for school and all of a sudden we heard this explosion and I’m like what hit my house,” says Waukee resident Melody Ridot.
When Ridot went outside, she saw it wasn’t her house that was damaged but her neighbors.
A gas explosion rocked the foundation of 775 Cherry St. A disabled woman called 911 saying she was still in the house.
The police arrived on the scene first, busted down the door and carried her to safety.
“As soon as they got across the street, the house was engulfed in flames,” says Ridot.
The Waukee Fire Department arrived soon after and started work on the fire. But when asked what could have been the cause, the rescued woman had another thing on her mind.
“The lady was sitting there going, ‘Please go get my dog, please go get my dog!’ and we’re like ‘Honey, you can’t go back in the at house, it’s completely on fire,'” says Ridot.
Crowds gathered and watched firefighters cut huge holes in the side of the house. It was not safe to go in because the foundation was all over the yard and sections of the house were ripped a part.
An hour and a half later, the fire was put out and Maddie, the woman’s dog, ran from the flames and into friendly arms.
“The fire started from a natural gas leak inside the house. We don’t have it down to an appliance or gas pipes yet but because of the explosion it was certainly a natural gas leak inside the house,” says Waukee Fire Chief Clint Robinson.
The Fire Department says it’s a good idea to get your pipes and appliances checked once a year for gas leaks.