4 homes damaged after box truck explodes in Addison, Illinois
One man was injured and four homes were damaged when a box truck exploded Saturday morning in west suburban Addison, Illinois.
Around 9 a.m., Addison police and firefighters responded to a report of an explosion in the 300 block of North Wood Dale Road, according to Addison Fire Protection District Chief Brock Herion.
A Penske box truck had exploded, leaving a trail of debris one to two blocks long – including clothing and damaged furniture.
Four homes were damaged in the blast, and one was left temporarily uninhabitable due to the damage.
One wall of the box truck hit a load-bearing wall of a nearby home, pushing it 2 to 4 feet inward, according to Herion.
The homeowners were home at the time, but were not hurt.
"They kind of described it as an earthquake, and then a tree falling on their house," Herion said.
The driver of the box truck was walking around the truck when police and firefighters arrived, and was taken to the hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
"We did dodge a big one, yes," Herion said.
Addison police said an investigation by police, the DuPage County Bomb Squad, and the ATF determined the explosion was caused by a leaking propane tank in the truck.
in a statement, the truck rental company said:
"The vehicle involved in this incident was rented out to a customer who was moving household personal belongings. Penske will cooperate fully with any further investigation by law enforcement. Under Penske's rental agreement, explosive, flammable or otherwise hazardous materials should not be transported in a consumer rental moving truck."
Wood Dale Road was closed north of Lake Street while crews work to clean up debris from the explosion. Police said the road is expected to reopen in a few hours.
