ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (KTVI) – Three people were hospitalized and approximately 20 homes damaged following an explosion Monday morning in unincorporated north St. Louis County.

According to Black Jack Fire Chief Paul Peebles, crews responded to reports of a home explosion in the area of 13800 block of Evan Aire Dr. around 9:15 a.m. When they arrived, they found five homes on fire with “not much left of them there.”

During a late morning news conference, Chief Peebles said everyone had been accounted for. By the afternoon, the St. Louis County Police Department confirmed that search teams with cadaver-sniffing dogs did not find any bodies among the rubble.

“It is a blessing that no one was killed,” Rep. Wesley Bell said. “You can look at this carnage and the fact that no one was killed is an absolute blessing. But we’ve got a lot of folks who are in need.”

Crews from gas company Spire and the county’s Bomb and Arson Unit arrived shortly after the explosion to investigate the cause of the blast. Spire spokesperson Jason Merrill said they shut off all natural gas to approximately 30 homes in the area and have not found any issues with their natural gas infrastructure leading to the homes.

County authorities asked anyone who does not live in the immediate area to avoid the scene so first responders and investigators can do their jobs.

Merrill said Spire did not receive any 811 calls or reports of a gas leak in the past couple of months prior to the explosion.

The American Red Cross responded to assist affected homeowners and residents find shelter for the next couple of days. St. Angela Merici, located a short distant from the site at 3860 North Highway 67, is serving as a shelter for the time being, with the American Red Cross providing food and water.

As of late Monday afternoon, it’s unclear what caused the explosion.

This is a developing story. More will be posted as it comes into the FOX 2 newsroom.