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In a tragic incident in Oswego, Illinois, two individuals were discovered deceased following a significant house fire that erupted after an explosion on Thursday evening. The blaze, which sent shockwaves through the neighborhood, was reportedly triggered by a suspected gas leak, according to local officials.
The calamity unfolded around 5 p.m. on Fox Chase Drive, right across from Fox Chase Elementary School. Firefighters arrived to find the home largely destroyed, battling the inferno as concerned residents looked on.
Oswego fire authorities confirmed on Friday morning that the remains of two people were recovered from the wreckage. The unsettling event left the community in mourning and raised concerns about safety measures regarding gas installations.
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In related news, nearby Aurora is grappling with its own crisis as a man faces charges for allegedly stabbing his ex-wife to death and committing home invasion in Oswego, as reported by police.
SEE ALSO | Aurora man charged with stabbing ex-wife to death, home invasion in Oswego, police say
Neighbors said right before the fire broke out, they heard what sounded like a loud boom. Then they felt their homes shake before seeing a large plume of smoke and fire.
“It was a two-story house, currently all that is standing is the front portion of the garage,” Oswego Fire Chief Joshua Flanders said.
Multiple fire crews battling the flames in the frigid cold into the evening hours.
“We’re bringing in heavy equipment to pull pieces of the house apart so that we can finish extinguishing the fire,” Flanders said. “When we arrived, we found a two-story house that was fully involved in fire and large portions of it collapsed.”
Oswego’s fire chief says fire investigators from Oswego, neighboring communities, the state fire marshal’s office and ATF will be assisting in the investigation.
The chief said Nicor shut off the gas to the home.
While there was minor damage to the two neighboring homes, fire officials say there is no danger to other homes in the area.
No further information was available.
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