(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — About a dozen people had to spend the night away from home after an explosion at their Oak Park apartment building Wednesday.
Fire officials responded about 5:30 p.m. to a fire with collapsed sections of a wall at a residential building in the 200 block of South Maple Avenue, Oak Park spokesperson Dan Yopchick said.
Investigators believe the fire was caused by a natural gas explosion. A man, who lived in the unit where it happened, was taken to the hospital initially in serious condition.
“I heard a loud noise, and I heard, like, hail hitting the glass,” said Richard Hamersma, a tenant in the building. “Then I heard pounding on my doors … and I came out and saw all of the stuff.”
Hamersma said he stayed at a nearby hotel on Wednesday night and would be staying there again on Thursday night.
The fire department said all six units have been left uninhabitable.
The investigation is still ongoing.
(The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.)
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