LAFAYETTE, Wisconsin — A home in southeastern Wisconsin exploded Tuesday, injuring a man who was found in the rubble of the basement, authorities said.
Calls to 911 reported the explosion around 2:15 p.m. in Lafayette, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office said. Officers arrived about 15 minutes later to find the home completely destroyed, the office said.
First responders made contact with a man trapped in the basement, Elkhorn Area Fire Chief Trent Eichmann told reporters. It took more than 30 minutes to reach the man, who was flown by helicopter to a hospital. His condition was not immediately known.
“It appears that when the house blew up, most of it ended up in one side of the basement and that’s where the gentleman was found,” Eichmann said. “At this point, he’s the only one we think was in the building at this time.”
Authorities continued to search the building on Tuesday afternoon.
The cause of the explosion has not been determined. Eichmann said that propane gas was being used in the area.
Lafayette is a rural community approximately 45 miles southwest of Milwaukee.