×

Hamilton County house leveled by explosion

— Daily Freeman-Journal photos by Kelby Wingert First responders tamp out hot spots at the scene of an apparent explosion that destroyed an unoccupied house at 2121 Bach Grove Ave. in rural Hamilton County. No injuries were reported.

DUNCOMBE — A house in rural Hamilton County was leveled Sunday night by what appeared to be an explosion around 9 p.m.

Homeowner Donald Christopherson, of Lehigh, said the house at 2121 Bach Grove Ave., about two miles northeast of Duncombe, was unoccupied at the time of the explosion. No known injuries were reported.

Neighbor Jason Ribbens said he heard the explosion from his home about a mile away. He said he could see flames shooting up above the cornfields between his house and the explosion.

Duncombe Volunteer Fire Department Chief Todd Bingham confirmed there were no occupants in the home.

The one-and-a-half-story house was completely leveled, with debris landing 50 to 100 yards in all directions of where the home once stood.

— Daily Freeman-Journal photos by Kelby Wingert Burning embers and scattered debris are all that is left of a house at 2121 Bach Grove Avenue following an apparent explosion Sunday night just before 9 p.m. The property, owned by Donald Christopherson, was unoccupied.

The house was where Christopherson grew up. It was formerly the Mud Hollow School House, a few miles to the east, Christopherson said. He was a small boy when his parents had it moved to 2121 Bach Grove Ave.

While it was hard to see his childhood home gone, Christopherson said there was some small silver lining.

“Nobody got hurt, so we can be thankful for that,” he said.

Fire crews from Webster City, Duncombe, Vincent and Woolstock were on scene for about two hours while they worked to extinguish fires and hot spots in the debris of the house. Also on scene were the Webster and Hamilton County sheriff’s offices.

— Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Kelby Wingert Firefighters from Webster City, Duncombe, Vincent and Woolstock responded to the scene of an apparent house explosion on Bach Grove Avenue Sunday night.

Starting at $3.46/week.

Subscribe Today