Fitchburg house explosion
© John Hart
The day after a massive explosion leveled a Fitchburg house, critically injuring the owner and scattering debris and rubble for half a mile, some nearby residents began returning to their homes Friday, while other dwellings remained uninhabitable.

Representatives from local, state and federal agencies were continuing to investigate the cause of Thursday's explosion. Fitchburg police Lt. Todd Stetzer said the cause would not be known until at least Monday because investigators need to get more information from the owner of the home destroyed in the blast.

Brian Grittner, 57, remained in critical condition Friday at UW Hospital, his mother, Neldine Nichols, said. The retired state IT employee suffered cuts, burns and broken bones, Nichols said.

Grittner's house, at 5573 Cheryl Drive near South Fish Hatchery Road, was the center of the explosion but it had not been determined if the blast occurred inside or outside, Fitchburg Fire Chief Joe Pulvermacher said. At the very least, that house and an adjacent house and duplex would likely have to be bulldozed, he said.


Families from eight residences, not including Grittner's, were not allowed to spend Friday night in their homes because of safety concerns, Fitchburg Fire Department spokeswoman Meredith Shelton said.

Six buildings remain uninhabitable, including two duplexes, Shelton said, though residents of one of the duplexes and one of the homes were allowed access to retrieve belongings.

Pulvermacher told reporters Friday afternoon that nothing had been ruled out as the cause of the blast. He said investigators were following up on reports of work being done in the vicinity of the explosion.

"We're trying to determine what caused this and how we can prevent this from happening in the future," Pulvermacher said.

The investigation had found no evidence of a leak or explosion in the underground gas distribution system, said Steve Schultz, a spokesman for Madison Gas & Electric. That would rule out an underground gas main rupture, but not necessarily a gas leak inside the destroyed house.

MGE did not receive calls for a gas leak prior to the explosion, and the company's first responders were on the scene within 10 minutes to shut off gas to the residence, Schultz said.

"We completed a thorough survey of the area to ensure the safety of the surrounding neighborhood," he said. "We are actively participating with the ongoing investigation."

Grittner told his mother the last thing he remembered before waking up in an ambulance was opening up the refrigerator.

"It's astonishing that he looks as good as he does," Nichols said.

Nichols said her son loves video games and computers and had been saving up to buy a Tesla electric car. He also had been thinking of moving into a smaller house, she said.

Grittner is married with a step-daughter, though his wife wasn't living in the house at the time of the explosion, Nichols said.

The ranch-style house was built in 1969 and assessed at $236,800, according to Dane County property records. It was purchased in 2011.

The American Red Cross assisted four families Thursday night who stayed with friends and relatives because their homes were close to the site of the explosion, spokeswoman Barbara Behling said.

Emergency workers helped rescue two cats and a dog from neighboring homes, which brought some relief to their owners, Behling said.

Debris was scattered for more than half a mile around the house. A box spring mattress was seen in the middle of Fish Hatchery Road, the busy arterial which was closed from McKee to Lacy roads overnight Thursday, opened to one lane of traffic in both directions Friday morning and fully reopened around 5 p.m.

"It's truly remarkable that others weren't hurt," Behling said. "As we looked at the faces of the people who were getting past the initial police barricades there. They had a look of shock on their faces and some relief if it wasn't their home."

The Salvation Army of Dane County also provided assistance Thursday night to affected residents and emergency responders, handing out snacks and cups of water, Gatorade and coffee.

Ted Bendler, a relief worker for the agency, described pieces of wood, drywall, insulation and the remnants of a garage door littered across several yards.

Bendler said one neighbor living across the street from the destroyed home had a plate-glass window blown in by the blast. On a typical evening the neighbor would be sitting in a recliner looking out the window.

"It was literally a miracle he wasn't home at that moment," Bendler said.