Damage estimate at $1 million from Oconomowoc blast, fire
A preliminary estimate puts the damage at about $1 million from the explosion and fire that destroyed a landmark church and gutted two adjacent houses in Oconomowoc.
Faith Baptist Church across from a popular swimming beach on Lac La Belle blew up Wednesday after a reported natural gas leak in the area where a construction crew was working on a street renewal project.
City spokesman Bob Duffy released the preliminary damage estimate, saying the church and one house were total losses and the other house is heavily damaged.
He says the exact cause of the explosion remained under investigation. We Energies officials said earlier that a gas leak had been reported where a line apparently was hit and utility workers were at the scene investigating when the explosion occurred.
Seven people were injured but only one is still hospitalized. The utility worker was reported in stable condition at Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in suburban Milwaukee.
The church's prominent brick bell tower was knocked down by workers yesterday because of fears it would collapse on its own.
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