Neighbors in Big Lake Township knew a new couple was moving into the one-story house on 182nd Ave. NW. But no one could have predicted what would happen during their moving week.
Darlene Anderson, who lives across the street, was raking in her backyard Wednesday afternoon. "And I heard a boom," she says. "When I came around, I could see that there was debris that was kind-of smoldering and flaming," she says. The explosion was strong enough to launch windows 75 feet from the house.
Four people were inside at the time. All of them escaped and three were flown to the Twin Cities hospitals. The Sherburne County Sheriff says Laddy and Ruth Cusick, both 79, were moving into the house from Mesa, Arizona. Neighbors and investigators say the Cusicks smelled gas on Monday. "They called a gas company, who sent a repairman and that individual checked the residence and did not find any problems," Sheriff Joel Brott said in a statement Wednesday. So the Cusicks -- along with Chester and Mary Richardson, both 69 -- tried moving items into the home Wednesday.
Brott says they smelled gas again, opened the garage doors and aired out the garage. They also checked the appliances and found nothing wrong. They were moving a mattress into the home just before 3 p.m. when the house exploded. Chester was the only one not burned. "That [mattress] probably is what cushioned him fairly well from the explosion," says Big Lake Fire Chief Tony Eisinger.
The Cusicks were flown by helicopter to Regions Hospital. Ruth was in serious condition when she arrived to the Burn Center but has been dowgraded to serious condition as of Thursday morning. Laddy is in fair condition at Regions. Mary Richardson was flown to Hennepin County Medical Center and is in serious condition.
"She had cinged hair," says Darlene Anderson. "Her hands were quite badly burned." Eisinger says the three victims had second-degree burns over their faces and arms.
The Sherburne County Sheriff's Office and Xcel Energy are investigating to see what sparked the explosion and where it happened.
Both XCel and Centerpoint Energy say they were not called to inspect the house earler this week, so another company must've received the call.
A fund has been set up for the victims. Donations can be dropped off at any TFC Bank for the "Ruth and Laddy Cusick Benefit Fund."
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