HAMBURG, N.Y. (WKBW) — A 78-year-old woman is dead and a 78-year-old man is in critical condition at Erie County Medical Center, after a house exploded Monday night on the 5800 block of West Lane in Lake View.
Authorities have identified the woman who died as Joene Pease. They say the man in critical condition is John Pease. They were the only people in the home when it exploded.
The Hamburg Emergency manager told the 7 News I-Team that police officers rescued John from "the debris pile in the footprint of the structure." The Joene was later found dead in the debris.
7 News has learned Joene and John are long-time members of the Lake View Community church. Joene had served in several roles within the church, and had been a trustee at one point.
WATCH BELOW: A neighbor describes what it felt like when a home nearby exploded. He says a woman was blown off her deck.
"This was a very catastrophic incident," Captain Baker said. "There's no house left."
Police began to receive reports of the explosion at about 8:45 p.m. Monday and about 20 agencies assisted at the scene.
We spoke with neighbors Tuesday morning who said the explosion shook their homes.
"I could hear screaming from my house the whole way down," said Joe Schaus. "I was just trying to help, wasn't much to help. The house is gone."
Schaus described thick smoke and a fire so hot he couldn't get close to it.
Another neighbor who lives near the scene said they knew the victims. "The people who lived in the house most impacted are a kind couple and very good, considerate neighbors.”
WATCH: Live reporting from the scene during Second Cup on Tuesday morning
A Town of Hamburg police officer, who was involved in the rescue of the man, was taken to the hospital for minor injuries. We're told he had smoke inhalation and has been released. Another officer sustained an ankle injury.
We've also learned a Lake View firefighter was taken to the hospital for exhaustion and has since been released.
Captain Baker said this will be a "lengthy" investigation, being led by Town of Hamburg Police Fire Investigation Unit.
Erie County Sheriff's Office fire investigators and state fire investigators are also assisting.
Below is our report from 11 p.m. on Monday, as the response to the explosion was ongoing.
The biggest question for investigators is: Did this involve natural gas infrastructure or something in the home?
The Public Service Commission is now involved. National Fuel is on the scene, investigating its infrastructure to determine if there were any problems. Investigators say they will take their time to pinpoint a cause.
Two neighboring homes were damaged by the blast. Crews demolished one of those homes Tuesday afternoon. No one was inside at the time of the explosion.
Several other houses in the area are being inspected to ensure they are safe structurally and to document any damage that may have occurred.
