The explosion happened late Monday just before midnight in a vacant home near 22nd Avenue and 55th Street being rehabbed by the city.
The blast rocked the area, causing damage to at least nine homes and four businesses. Residents who thought it was an earthquake or a bomb fled their houses.
"Me and my girl were getting into a movie, and all of a sudden, the whole house just shook. The lights flickered off. It was crazy," said Kenosha resident Justin Willms.
"All of a sudden, it was like a big boom, and it just made me fly off of the chair. I just made sure my kids were ok, and we hurried up and got them out of here," resident Eula Amie said.
Windows were shattered and property was sent flying through the area.
Firefighters say only minor cuts and scrapes resulted from the explosion.
The home that was leveled was being inspected later Tuesday morning as investigators worked to figure out what caused the blast.
The fire chief in Kenosha said he thought the explosion might have been caused by natural gas.