May 4, 200520 yr Or is this you Steff? Firework blows up house, injures couple Tribune staff reports Published May 4, 2005, 10:03 AM CDT Authorities today are blaming alcohol and a firework for an overnight explosion that blew up a suburban house and injured two people, including a woman burned over half her body. The incident happened about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in a ranch house on the 0-100 block of East Main Street in southwest suburban Plainfield, fire investigators said. Authorities told CLTV a couple in their 40s had been drinking and were sitting in the front living room of the house when they allegedly decided to light a commercial firework they had obtained and possessed illegally. The couple then allegedly could not figure out how to extinguish the fuse, CLTV reported. The device exploded, damaging the house and setting it on fire. Neighbors heard the blast, called 911 and rushed to the scene. "I thought it was my girlfriend in an accident because they weren't home from work yet," one neighbor, Bobbie Meredith, told CLTV. Traffic in the vicinity was so backed up, she added, "I literally was driving through yards to get parked to make sure it wasn't my kids in a wreck." Emergency personnel arrived to find the house in flames and the couple standing outside the dwelling. Firefighters quickly doused the blaze. The couple sustained serious burns and initially were taken to hospitals in Joliet and Aurora, Plainfield Fire Chief John Eichelberger said. The woman subsequently was transferred to the burn unit at Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood. Both victims were expected to recover from their injuries, CLTV reported. Carmen Morales, spokesman for Nicor, said the house did not have natural gas service at the time of the explosion. Eichelberger said the dwelling's electrical meter was locked, meaning there was no electricity to the home. Lights were on, however, in an attached garage. A for-rent sign was posted in the yard. Police tape surrounded the gutted residence today, and the arson unit of the Will County sheriff's department remained at the scene. No charges had been filed as of this morning.
May 5, 200520 yr QUOTE(Wong & Owens @ May 4, 2005 -> 12:06 PM) A for-rent sign was posted in the yard.
May 5, 200520 yr Arson. They were going to burn it down and call the insurance company. At least, that's my gut reaction.
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