An explosion erupted at a home in west suburban Cicero on Saturday afternoon, leaving one family displaced and damaging a second building, officials said.
The explosion occurred at around 5 p.m. in the 2200 block of Central Avenue, sending shockwaves into nearby restaurants.
"Sitting down eating my food, all of a sudden I hear a loud boom," one witness said.
People ran outside and saw heavy flames and broken windows.
"To be honest I was kind of scared," one witness stated. "I watch 'Chicago Fire' a lot, I was thinking the smoke was gonna come over here."
In addition to the explosion, an adjacent building caught fire, and minor damage was reported to a third building, officials said. Footage captured by an NBC Chicago photographer at the scene showed scattered debris and smoke coming from at least one of the structures.
Cicero fire officials said crews got the flames under control and learned a family of six lived in the home. However, they were away at a wedding at the time.
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The incident was believed to be a gas explosion, but authorities said they won't be certain until daylight.
The explosion and concerns about gas displaced some neighbors for now. Meanwhile, the American Red Cross was on scene, helping affected neighbors.
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"If they need to put us up for the night somewhere, luckily it's a mild night," one neighbor said.
