A gas explosion turned a house at 64 Illinois Street in Rochester into a smoking pile of rubble Wednesday night, scattering debris around the neighborhood and killing the home’s occupant.
Crews investigated through the night, finally reopening the area to traffic at 5:00 a.m.
RG&E said its crews were checking the area after neighbors reported smelling gas. Crews said a man inside the home refused to answer the door, so they called the Fire Department. As RG&E’s workers backed away and the fire truck arrived, the house blew up. The next door houses were heavily damaged.
A structural collapse team searched the wreckage and found the victim in the basement late Wednesday night.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.