Video from Ground and Drone Minutes After Long Grove House Explosion at Royal Melbourne

VIDEO minutes after explosion of a large luxury home at Royal Melbourne Country Club in Long Grove on Trenton Court near Wellington Drive in Royal Melbourne, Long Grove (VIDEO CREDIT: Larry Shapiro).

A large luxury home exploded about 10:44 p.m. Friday in Long Grove at Royal Melbourne Country Club in the 4000 block of Trenton Court — a cul-de-sac on the northwest area of the golf course at Royal Melbourne. Aerial news photos from ABC 7 Chicago (ABC 7 Chicago news photos) show the leveled home, just east of the sand trap on the fairway of the Back Nine between the 13th Hole and the 14th Hole.

Video was captured during firefighter operations by photographer Larry Shapiro, of Buffalo Grove. The video highlights several learning experiences about the disaster.

During much of the video where flames are burning brightly, you are witnessing natural gas-fed fire. When Shapiro is closer to the fire, you can hear the gas hissing as it is vented from rupture gas lines.

0:30 and 1:50 elapsed time … damage to the home to the east is shown with large debris on the ground from the blast house.

1:54 elapsed time … Large debris is shown cluttering the ground.

2:07 elapsed time … Debris is shown in trees.

2:46 elapsed time … electric arcing explosion is visible in the background.

3:00 elapsed time … ground hazards to firefighters are highlighted at about 3:02 elapsed time.

3:15 elapsed time … a tanker shuttle is shown bringing water to the scene. Tanker trucks bring water to the scene of a fire where fire hydrants are sparse or do not exist. Portable pools are filled by the tanker trucks that arrive at the scene filled with water — and refilled from nearby lakes or hydrants offsite.

4:02 elapsed time … damage to the home to the east of the blast house is visible. The blow in garage door faced east — on the opposite side away from the blast house.

4:35 elapsed time … loud hissing is heard with leaking, ignited natural gas clearly visible — especially at 4:48 and zoomed in at 5:04.

5:50 elapsed time … heavy debris and a vehicle with blown out windows visible.

5:57 elapsed time … neighboring house with blown out windows visible.

6:04 elapsed time … spot news videographer Paul LaPointe from Captured News gets a statement for local and national television news networks from Countryside Fire Chief Jeff Steingart, which is immediately uploaded to the video content management system of Captured News.

6:31 elapsed time … water fill site where tankers filled with water.

Radio communication heard during the video is from the IFERN radio channel that is used for major incidents throughout Illinois. Division 4 covers the geographic area in Lake County that includes Long Grove and Royal Melbourne Country Club.

Drone video reported to be over scene at Royal Melbourne Country Club while house burned below (uploaded by Richard Polidoro).

Satellite view of house just south of 4773 Trenton Court, Long Grove.

View of Trenton Court Cul-de-Sac at Wellington Drive.

View Larger Map
Regional map of area of house explosion where hundreds of residents reported hearing and/or feeling the blast.

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