Emergency responders from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department and Plymouth Fire Department were dispatched to 16040 Cook Lake Trail about 8:30 Sunday night after a home exploded there.
Plymouth Fire Chief Rod Miller said they had a grass-rig in the area that had responded to some branched in the wires and when the call came in of the explosion and possible fire those firefighters immediately responded to the scene. The chief said remnants of the house were scattered over the property, across the street and even out into Myers Lake.
The home was leveled and is a 100% loss according to the chief. Firefighters were on the scene until about 2 a.m. as they waited for NIPSCO to get a crew out to shut off the gas. He said they had to excavate the line to disconnect the service. REMC also shut off the electric to the home.
The home was vacant at the time of the explosion. New owners, Wayne and Laura Laucis had only purchase the home about a month ago and were in the renovation stage.
Fire Chief Rod Miller said a neighbor told him they heard a loud crack and then the explosion. The chief suspects there may have been a lightning strike but without certification from the National Weather Service can’t confirm that as the cause of the explosion. He will be meeting with the insurance company on Thursday and will tell them of their findings. Miller said, if they want to look into the cause further they will have to hire an excavating company to remove the rubble and do their own investigation.
Neighbors on Cook Lake Trail said it sounded like a bomb went off, rattling the windows and pictures on the wall in homes about a block away. Comments on Facebook indicate folks at Pretty Lake could hear the explosion and even near the hospital.
Thankfully no one was injured in the explosion or responding to the emergency situation.
