DE PERE (NBC 26) — According to a news release from Battalion Chief Brett Jansen of the De Pere Fire Department, one person was injured in a fire and house explosion Saturday. Just before 1:45 p.m., firefighters were called to the scene of a duplex on fire with an explosion in the 2000 block of Terry Lane in De Pere.
Jansen writes that dispatch told first responders one person had escaped to the roof of the duplex, and was helped down by neighbors in the connecting duplex. De Pere Fire says everyone inside the house had gotten out, but there were still cats inside when firefighters arrived. Smoke was coming out of all sides of the building when firefighters arrived and there were signs of an explosion with multiple windows broken and debris laying in the yard.
First responders turned off the gas to the duplex. Jansen says the fire was quickly found in the basement and extinguished. The cats were found and returned to their owners without injuries.
The injured person was transported to St. Vincent hospital to treat minor injuries from the explosion. Everyone else who was in the house at the time was evaluated and released from the scene.
Jansen writes the Red Cross was called to the scene. Fire units from five different communities assisted De Pere on the scene Saturday.
The Brown County Fire Investigation team was called to the scene to determine the cause of the explosion, which is still under investigation. The total damages are estimated at $550,000. De Pere Fire says the duplex is a complete loss because of structural damage.
