ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The St. Charles Fire Department is investigating a home explosion that sent three adults and two children to the hospital on Monday.
“It was very scary to see it happen. I couldn’t even imagine,” said Kara Schemkes.
Video from her front door showed the moments after the explosion.
“The family was in my front yard. So I got them water, whatever they needed,” Schemkes said. “They had two little babies, so I was consoling them, and I was just trying to help any way I could. I just heard this massive boom kind of like a firework in a way.”
Several neighbors called 911. Officials with the St. Charles Fire Department said eight fire trucks and more than 60 first responders immediately arrived on the scene.
“We had multiple victims outside the building and a one-story home fully involved,” said Deputy Chief Steve Brown. “Immediate medical care began on three adults and two children.”
He said the victims were conscious before being taken to the hospital. Two of the adults are in critical condition. After firefighters cleared the scene, Spire was out digging across the street from the home.
A spokesperson for Spire said the following statement:
“To ensure the safety of our customers and communities, we are working with investigators to help them determine the cause of today’s incident.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.