One Woman Dead in Home Explosion

Jun 03, 03:25 PM

Current Headlines: Authorities Sunday had yet to confirm the identity of a woman found dead after a weekend house explosion in Wisconsin.

The explosion in Wauwatosa Saturday may have been caused by a buildup of natural gas, said City Fire Chief Dean Redman.

The blast sent flames 75 feet high and was hot enough to ignite the exterior of a neighboring house, Redman said. Witness Chris Puls said what was left of the house was nothing more than toothpicks.

The blast shattered windows and knocked art from the walls of neighboring homes, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

The woman's body was found in the rubble, though authorities had yet to release her name. Public records show the home was owned by Lorraine L. Gaulke, 80.

It appeared the woman was in the kitchen when the blast occurred, Redman said. No one else was believed to have been in the house, he said.