Explosion caught on camera caused by car running in Westport garage

Explosion caught on camera caused by car running

Stephanie Fryer by Stephanie Fryer

An explosion in the town of Westport drew first responders from multiple departments Wednesday morning.

Crews from Cross Plains, Middleton, Verona and Waunakee were sent to a home at 4723 Sumac Road around 8:30 a.m.

Dispatchers with Dane County said they received a call about windows being blown out of a garage.

“Upon arrival, we were reading high levels of carbon monoxide in the structure. We have since cleared the structure of any occupants and searched the building,” said Chief Aaron Harris, with the Middleton Fire District.

The explosion caused significant structure damage to the garage and to the living area above it. Harris estimated the damage at about $75,000.

“Other than our search crews making initial entry, we are no longer making entry to the second and third division of this structure due to this damage,” Harris said.

Madison Gas and Electric was at the residence to look for possible sources of the explosion.

Harris said it was determined it was the result of a car running in the garage, which led to carbon monoxide levels reaching an explosive limit and being sparked by a ignition source in that space.

“In an incident like this, we want to obviously rule out all the potential sources, so MG&E has got a strong presence here. They’ve been assisting us with the investigation to make sure and rule out any type of gas explosion,” Harris said.

No one was hurt during this incident.

Get your weather forecast from people who actually live in your community. We update with short, easy-to-use video forecasts you can watch on your phone every day. Download the iOS or Android app here.

COPYRIGHT 2020 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.