2 injured in Racine home explosion, public asked to avoid area

RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Two people in Racine were hurt after a home exploded Tuesday night, Feb. 18.

The home is on Gilson Street, one block from Mitchell Middle School. 

They told us it felt like a bomb went off when the single-story ranch exploded around 5:40 p.m. More than three hours later, fire crews were still trying to get the flames out. 

Racine police confirm two people were injured and are being treated. A woman who lives across the street told us the building is a duplex, with a couple living in one unit and their adult daughter living in the other. 

The neighbor said the couple had a new stove installed just earlier in the day. After the explosion, the neighbor said the daughter was stuck in her unit, and her father was trying to get her out as the flames got bigger. 

She said neighbors helped free the daughter just in time, before the entire home was engulfed in flames. 

Racine police told us on the scene they've evacuated people in the immediate area, but officers could not speak about the exact reason for the evacuation. 

Crews kept a persistent fire at bay as they tried to prevent flames from reaching neighboring homes. 

Oscar Heath lives just one street over. He said he could feel the shockwave of the explosion in his chest; then he ran through his backyard to see what happened. 

"We saw the house topple over," Heath said. "The fire department, they kind of had a struggle getting water, but they've been doing an amazing job. So, once we saw the house topple over, trees kind of caught fire a little bit."

Oscar said at first, it appeared fire crews struggled to get water flowing through the hydrant and into their hoses, but he said they've been doing a great job preventing the fire from spreading. 

Racine police tell us updates will come on Wednesday.