Law enforcement is investigating after a furnace explosion destroyed a home near Kettle River, sending two to the hospital with serious injuries Tuesday evening.
First responders were called to Korhonen Rd. in Silver Township just before 9 p.m. where initial reports said a 75-year-old woman had been injured and a second victim was trapped in the basement. The second victim, a 52-year-old woman, was able to escape from the basement before the Kettle River Fire Department arrived.
The 52-year-old woman reported that the furnace inside the residence exploded after she turned it on.
Both victims were airlifted to Essentia St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth for serious injuries.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation by the Carlton County Sheriff's Office and Minnesota Fire Marshall's Office.
Photography courtesy of the Carlton County Facebook page.