GRANITE CITY, Ill. – A massive explosion ripped a Granite City home to shreds early Monday morning.
It happened around 3 a.m. on Dale Avenue. The home was destroyed in pieces.
In a matter of minutes, Matthew Jones went from being a new proud homeowner to a man sifting through the debris and rubble of his once-living abode. However, Jones said he is counting his blessing.
“Looking where my bed is, looking where I would have been sleeping. I’m pretty thankful that I work graveyard shift because there is no way I would have survived that blast,” he said.
Jones said he bought the home at the beginning of the year, and he said to know he lost everything inside is heartbreaking.
“A house can be built, you can’t really bring someone back from the dead. I have homeowners insurance and I have family,” Jones said. “So I’m sure I’ll be reaching out to them to see where I might be able to stay.”
His next-door neighbor’s home also sustained some damage.
“I almost called off [of work] because I have a bad back. I would have been outside just checking in with the dogs, and letting them out, doing their thing, and went back in,” said Rob Prather. “It could have been worse, but I thank the Lord.”
Jones said he was working on his water heater last night before he left for work Monday morning.
Officials from the Granite City Fire Department said their crews initial thought was a gas explosion.
Ameren did come out to shut off the gas.
Ameren and the state fire marshal’s office will investigate to try and determine what caused the explosion.