Woman found dead after house explosion

The body of a 53-year-old woman was found in the wreckage of a house explosion Thursday in the town of Wescott, according to the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department.

The cause of the explosion was still unknown Thursday night and was under investigation by the state fire marshal.

Sheriff Adam Bieber said a propane leak was suspected, but that has not been confirmed.

Shawano County authorities received a call about a house fire on Richter Court around 5 a.m. There were also reports from neighbors about a loud explosion.

“It was that massive. It made people get up. It shook people out of bed,” area resident Tim Larsen told WLUK-TV in Green Bay. “I saw nothing but smoke and a foundation.”

Firefighters and emergency medical responders found the home completely destroyed when they arrived.

“This is by far the most destruction I’ve ever seen in my career,” Detective Sgt. Gordon Kowaleski said.

Debris from the house littered the neighborhood and hung from the trees around the property.

“The closet door blew open and the stuff was flying,” Ralph Shaw told WBAY-TV. “Wallboard, insulation all over.”

Neighbors on social media said they heard the explosion, and one said she saw a fireball rise above the trees. Some reported hearing it miles away.

Officials made contact with one of the homeowners, who was out of state at the time of the explosion, but a second person was unaccounted for for most of the day, until she was discovered late Thursday afternoon.

Her name has not been released.

No further information was being released late Thursday.