Explosion happens inside house on Madison’s west side

2 hospitalized following explosion in Madison home

MADISON, Wis. — Two people were sent to a hospital Monday morning following an explosion inside a home on Madison’s west side.

The call came in at 4:45 a.m. from the 400 block of Midvale Boulevard, according to Madison Fire Department spokeswoman Lori Wirth.

According to the Madison Fire Department, the blast was big enough to knock the home off its foundation, along with causing small fires inside the home.

Firefighters put out two fires in the basement when they arrived, and the front wall of the home was taken 6 inches off its foundation.

Four people were inside the home at the time of the explosion, including two parents and two adult children. The children were taken to the University of Wisconsin Hospital following the explosion.

UW Hospital confirmed that Dillon and Brian Hansen are hospitalized in critical condition Monday. Property records show the Hansens own the home where the incident occurred, and neighbors confirmed the names of the sons also, using a neighborhood directory.

People living nearby said seeing this incident happen close by has them a little leery of their own utilities. Many of them weren’t woken up by the blast but rather by the sirens.

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Ed Nelson, who lives right behind the house where the explosion happened, said he felt the early morning explosion.

“I felt it. It was more of a shaking than an explosion. But there was kind of a ‘whomphf’ to it, kind of like incoming enemy fire,” Nelson said.

Nelson, who said he knows the family affected by the explosion, said this kind of situation could bring an unfortunate surprise to anyone.

“If it can happen to the Hansen’s, it can happen to anybody,” Nelson said.

Neighbor Jim Granger added, “It looks like a total loss to me from here.”

Most of those living nearby said they just hope everyone involved is doing OK.

“You can replace anything in the house, but you can’t replace a human life,” said Keith Plesha, who lives two doors down from the blast.

“It’s real sad for those people, but if everybody’s OK, that’s all that matters,” Granger said.

Wirth said the house sustained significant structural damage, but no damage estimate has been calculated. The cause of the blast remains under investigation, according to Wirth.

Midvale Boulevard was closed for about three hours from Mineral Point to Keating Terrace as a result of the incident, according to Wirth.