Body found when explosion levels home in Gurnee

A person’s body was found at a house that exploded Friday night in north suburban Gurnee.

Firefighters responded at 6:07 p.m. to a report of an explosion at a house in the 36000 block of Streamwood Drive, according to Gurnee Fire Department Battalion Chief David Douglass. The blast “leveled” the house, and a fire spread throughout the rubble.

The fire was extinguished by 8:30 p.m., and firefighters found a body in the debris about 8:45 p.m., according to Lake County sheriff’s office spokeswoman Sara Balmes.

Six other nearby houses were also damaged by debris from the explosion, and a female neighbor suffered a minor injury because of debris falling in her home, Balmes said. She was treated and released at the scene.

It was unclear whether the house that exploded was vacant or in foreclosure, authorities said.

North Shore Gas cut off the home’s gas service, Douglass said. The explosion remained under investigation Saturday morning.