Home explosion in Dixon, Illinois seriously injures man, forces evacuation of entire neighborhood

DIXON, Ill. -- An early morning explosion and fire at a home in Dixon, Illinois seriously injured one person and forced the evacuation of an entire neighborhood on Monday.

According to Deputy Fire Chief Adam Arnold, firefighters were dispatched around 6 a.m. to a home in the 1500-block of Estates Road after reports of a structure fire that followed an explosion.

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When crews arrived, they found the home had sustained significant structural damage and was burning. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire.

One resident was found outside the home with burns to his face and legs. Emergency medical personnel treated the victim at the scene. He was later flown to a hospital in Rockford for further treatment.

As firefighters investigated the area, they detected gas readings in nearby homes and farther down the street. Out of caution, officials decided to evacuate the entire neighborhood, about 400 people, and relocate residents while crews continued their investigation.

Dixon City Manager Danny Langloss said numerous agencies and organizations worked together to assist residents affected by the incident. Reagan Middle School was opened as an emergency shelter, housing about 50 displaced residents.

"We do anticipate that residents will be back in their homes late afternoon if all goes well, and so until then we'll just keep giving them updates, communicating through our social media, making sure they have food, water, and they're as comfortable as possible," Langloss said.

City officials said they expected residents to be allowed back into their homes later in the afternoon if conditions remained safe.

The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

The CNN Wire contributed to this report.