House explodes on Milwaukee's north side, starts other homes on fire

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A house explosion during the early morning hours of Sunday, December 29th caused a catastrophic scene on Milwaukee's north side. The home on N. 79th St. near Bobolink caught fire around 1:30 a.m. and spread to neighboring houses.

Neighbor Takilya Blain says a loud "bang" woke her up in the middle of the night. She saw the home next door engulfed in flames when she looked through her son's bedroom window.

"I knew the fire was going to catch on my house. The flames was just too close and I seen stuff falling toward my house," said Blain.

The fire caused severe damage to the homes on both sides of it. Blain says what's even more frightening, is the fact that the part of her home that caught fire was her two-year-old son's room.

"For some reason he came in my room last night and said he wanted to sleep with me," said Blain. "I'm glad he just wasn't in his room last night and he was in my bed because if I didn't hear nothing he could have been dead. I could have been dead."

The majority of Blain's home, she says, is completely gone. Authorities from the Milwaukee Fire Department say the fire burned quickly and furiously.

"In fact, they called it a defensive fire," said Deputy Fire Chief Terry Lintonen. "It isn't  normal or typical to have a house fully engulfed when we arrive."

Around six fire engines responded to the scene. The Wauwatosa Fire Department also assisted in fighting the blaze. A cause and point of origin have not yet been determined. Authorities are still investigating the incident.