BRIGHTON – A Thanksgiving Day explosion/fire tragedy in Brighton has ended the life of a 19-year-old male and severely injured a 17-year-old male.

The explosion/fire occurred in the basement of a home in the 500 block of Marion Street in Brighton in the basement near 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

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Brighton Police Chief Pete Levertt said the preliminary investigation shows vapors may have ignited in the basement, causing the explosion and flash fire. He said the Illinois State Fire Marshal is working with the Brighton Police Department and Betsy Ann Fire Department today to come up with more conclusions with interviews and fact analysis about what happened.

Levertt said the two teenagers were both in the basement of the home when the explosion occurred and a grandfather and the mother of the youth were both upstairs and did not suffer injuries.

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“This turned out to be a devastating Thanksgiving Day event,” Levertt said. “The 19-year-old severely burned in the incident has passed and the other teenager injured is in guarded condition.”

Levertt added that when the Brighton Police Department and Betsy Ann Fire Department responded to that location they found several people outside with one person lying on the concrete severely burned. He said there was also a second individual located in the same area of the driveway, also severely burned.

For donations to the family see their GoFund Me page here.

Levertt said more information on the chronological happenings of what occurred will be released later today or Tuesday after consultation with the Illinois State Fire Marshal.

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