Man seriously burned in Glendale house explosion
By Courtney Sisk
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GLENDALE, Wisconsin (WISN) — A homeowner was injured Sunday afternoon following a house explosion in Glendale.
The explosion happened about 3:05 p.m. near Sievers Place and River Forest Drive.
Crews found the sole occupant, a man in his 50s, with significant burns.
He was taken to a local burn center with serious, likely non-life-threatening injuries. Witnesses told WISN 12 News the man was alert.
Some witnesses told WISN 12 News reporter Courtney Sisk they heard a loud boom and felt the ground shake.
Carl Mangold walked outside with his wife to see what happened.
He saw his neighbor’s home in ruins.
“Three other guys and I ran to the window between the kitchen and the living room and he {victim] was already there trying to come out and we pulled him out of there,” Mangold said. “You do what you need to do, and he’s in pain and you’re going to get him out of there.”
Mike Poelzer also felt the sinister sensation Sunday afternoon. He, too, ran to help bring the man to a shady area until help arrived.
“He was in a lot of pain. We were asking him if anyone was inside, pets or anything, he was able to say no, no, no but he was screaming,” Poelzer said.
Fire officials are investigating the cause of the fire.
“There is some preliminary information potentially from the occupant of the house that they may have lit a cigarette, at which point there was an explosion, or the fire started.” North Shore Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Dan Tyk said. “Obviously, that’s something right now were worried about the individual’s care more than we are about exactly … We will get a statement from that individual and hopefully be able to corroborate that and find out if that ultimately was the cause or not.”
The house is deemed a total loss. It’s not structurally safe.
Neighbors like Mangold know the man, and hope he can make a full recovery.
“It’s been a tough fight for him for some time,” he said. “And I’m just hoping he gets the care he needs to come back.”
Fire officials want the public to know if you smell gas in a home or building call 911.
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