Newman, IL – Newman Fire Chief Wade Hales confirms a house explosion earlier today.
When neighbor Melinda Labaume heard a blast around noon, she thought it happened in her own house. She jumped into action when she heard her neighbor yelling for help across the street on the 300 block of South Broadway.
“She told me she was turning on her stove and it exploded,” Labaume said.
Hales said only one person was injured, the woman who was in the house at the time of blast.
The woman was then airlifted to the hospital with third degree burns, according to family members.
“Obviously, when we live in small communities, it takes multiple agencies to help with situations that occur like this,” Hales said. “It’s what living in a small town is all about.”
The area is full of debris and water.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation, but could have been related to natural gas.