Firefighters in Oconomowoc, Wis., continue to battle smoke Wednesday evening at the site of an afternoon explosion that destroyed a downtown church and damaged two nearby homes.
Workers from We Energies are on the scene at First Baptist Church and think the explosion happened when a gas service line was hit, a utility spokesman told FOX News.
At least seven people were taken to a hospital with injuries and all are listed in good condition, a hospital spokesman said.
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A man who works a block away from the church said he heard the explosion.
"The church basically had disappeared and the only thing remaining was the steeple in the front," Waukesha County Board Supervisor Kenneth Herro told the Associated Press.
Herro said he smelled natural gas and saw emergency responders arriving on scene.
Officials say it happened west of the downtown area along Wisconsin Avenue. The building is across from a city park.
Oconomowoc is about 30 miles west of Milwaukee with a population of 12,500.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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