Saybrook, IL – Fire and utility officials are issuing a safety reminder to all homeowners.
They say it is the perfect time to make sure your natural gas is working properly.
The reminder is the result of a fatal house explosion in Saybrook. It happened Saturday afternoon and killed 60-year-old Charlene Durham. An autopsy Monday afternoon indicated according to preliminary results, Durham suffered multiple injuries including fractures of the ribs, pelvis and left leg as well as pre existing medical conditions that likely contributed to her death, according to Coroner Beth Kimmerling. A final determination of death will occur after histology and toxicology tests are completed.
First responders found her in a crawlspace and took her to the hospital, where she later died.
An exact cause of the explosion is a mystery at this point in the investigation, officials said Monday.
However, one of their theories is a natural gas leak.
Saybrook Fire Chief Chad Benjamin said Durham reported a gas leak to Nicor Gas, but the house exploded before the company arrived.
A three block radius was evacuated at the time and gas lines were shut off. They have since been turned back on and people returned to their homes.
However, the 100 block of Monroe St. is still shut down to make room for a demolition crew.
Nicor Spokesman Bernie Anderson said Monday the explosion can be an example for everyone.
“You should never smell gas at all,” he said.
Anderson said people should have their furnaces changed annually. He also said if you smell gas, you should never report it from the scene.
“Leave the building. Leave the facility and make the call from a different location,” he said.
It’s also recommended you only use carbon monoxide detectors as a secondary notification system.
Anderson said, “Primary is having everything cleaned and checked annually.”
Meanwhile, Dixie Riblet is mourning Durham’s death. The women were close friends and neighbors for the past 15 years.
“I always had Charlene bake Christmas cookies for me. She baked for everybody,” Riblet said.
Riblet was “half asleep” on her recliner Saturday when she heard the explosion. She said it was deafening.
“I heard this boom. Just oh so loud. Just so loud,” she said.
Riblet called Durham’s death a loss for the small community that came to know her from a restaurant she used to run.
“If you needed anything, Charlene would do anything for anybody. Charlene had lots and lots of friends. Everybody was Charlene’s friend,” Riblet said.
Durham’s granddaughter and a family friend escaped the collapsed house with non-life threatening injuries.
The investigation is ongoing.