House Explosion In Wisconsin Kills Elderly Woman, Pet Dogs

A 75-year-old woman was killed and her daughter seriously injured after an explosion and fire broke out at their home. Two dogs belonging to the family also died in the incident.

The explosion took place Monday night at a house located in the 400 block of River Hills Road at River Falls, Wisconsin.

Martha Gausted and her daughter, Kari, were inside their home during the explosion. The nearby residents helped both women get out of the home after the explosion.

"I saw a massive flash and felt my entire house shake," Jacob Diel, a neighbor, told television station WCCO-TV.

Diel said he was among the first ones who ran outside to see what happened. When he ran to help the women inside the burning house, he noticed that another neighbor was already there trying to aid the victims.

"She seemed to be blown into the corner of the house, and he managed to find her underneath some rubble and reach in and pull her out of the house, and in a manner of minutes afterward, the house collapsed," Diel told the outlet.

The victims were rushed to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where Martha succumbed to her injuries. Her 42-year-old daughter suffered serious injuries but is reportedly in stable condition and continues to be in the hospital.

The family's pet dogs, a Labrador named Lola and a Golden retriever named Rosie, died in the fire.

The house was completely burned and charred down, and eventually collapsed. Utility crews went door to door in the neighborhood to make sure other homes were safe.

Kari's 18-year-old son was not home when the incident took place. He is staying with his relatives until his mother gets discharged from the hospital.

The exact cause of the explosion is unclear. River Falls Police Chief Gordon Young said that the explosion does not seem to be a criminal act according to the preliminary investigation. However, the incident is being investigated, he said.

The neighbors have started a GoFundMe page to help the family with the expenses. "Just trying to help them come back from nothing," Diel told the outlet.