Scott Williams, swilliams@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Scott Williams Police investigators keep the scene blocked Friday as they search for clues in the explosion that killed one person and leveled a house in the town of Wescott.
A woman found dead in the debris of a house explosion Thursday in Shawano County has been identified as 54-year-old Diane Pickett.
The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department said Pickett was found deceased at the scene of the explosion, which occurred about 5 a.m. Thursday at N6631 Richter Court.
An autopsy was scheduled Friday, but no information was released about any results.
Investigators returned to the scene on Richter Court in the town of Wescott to sift for clues as to what caused the blast that leveled the house.
The sheriff’s department said the explosion left an “extensive debris field” that required an “extensive, systematic search.”
Capt. Tom Tuma of the sheriff’s department said investigators were not releasing any information about possible causes of the explosion.
“That’s going to take some time,” Tuma said.
According to Shawano County tax records, the house belonged to Mark and Diane Pickett and was valued at $285,600 for tax purposes.
Police had earlier said that one of two homeowners was out of town at the time of the incident, and the second was unaccounted for until Diane Pickett’s body was recovered from the rubble.
Neighbors reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing a fireball.
Emergency crews originally responded to a reported house fire, later determining that some sort of blast had occurred.
“The residence was a complete loss as a result of an explosion,” the sheriff’s department said Friday.
The state fire marshal’s office was assisting in the investigation.
Fire marshal spokesman Johnny Koremenos said an “active and ongoing investigation” was in progress, but he declined to comment further.