Woman in ‘good condition’ after explosion levels Stillman Valley house: Sheriff

STILLMAN VALLEY – An explosion leveled a rural Stillman Valley house Friday afternoon, leaving a resident with only minor injuries, police said.

The Stillman Valley Fire Protection District responded to the 9000 block of East High Road, about 3 miles outside Stillman Valley, within five minutes of a 2:42 p.m. 911 call, Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said.

“When they arrived, they found a house that was completely leveled, and there was a woman that was trapped in what was the kitchen,” he said. “They were able to remove her, and she was transported to a Rockford hospital. She’s in good condition.”

Two dogs that were in the house also are in good condition, VanVickle said. One dog was found right away, and the second was found about 5:20 p.m.

“All in all, it’s a pretty good turnout,” said VanVickle, who compared the wreckage left with the damage done in 2015 by a series of tornadoes.

Neighbors rushed to the scene, arriving before emergency personnel, finding the trapped resident and assisting when crews arrived, he said. They were able to direct the fire departments once they arrived.

There were small “spot fires,” and some of the grass was aflame when emergency responders arrived, but the house itself wasn’t on fire, VanVickle said.

The blast appeared to have traveled across East High Road south of the home, leaving charred grass in the ditch and debris on the roadway.

The cause of the explosion still is being investigated, but it appears to be a gas leak, VanVickle said. The Illinois State Fire Marshal and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating further, he said.

Nicor shut off the gas to the area about 5:55 p.m., allowing the investigation to progress, VanVickle said.

A neighbor’s house about 20 or 30 yards away also was damaged, he said.

“[The explosion] blew the garage door in and knocked the windows out of their garage,” VanVickle said. “We had firefighters who reported hearing the explosion 6 miles away.”

Stillman Valley, Byron, Oregon, Cherry Valley and Lynn-Scott-Rock fire protection districts; the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office; Ogle County Emergency Management; Nicor Gas and ComEd were the local responders, VanVickle said.

As of 8 p.m., several Nicor Gas trucks remained alongside East High Road, and investigators from the Illinois State Fire Marshal also were on the scene.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include additional photos and information.