Two people are dead after a home explosion early Tuesday morning in Princeton Township.

Debris from the explosion was scattered more than 100 yards from where the home once stood.

The Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office says it received multiple calls about the explosion in the 8200 block of 52nd Street just before 4 a.m. When they arrived, that massive debris field was on fire.

The sheriff’s office later confirmed that two people were inside at the time and died. They were identified as Royce and Kathy Kreger, ages 60 and 61, respectively. Their dog also died.

Mille Lacs County Chief Deputy Aaron Evenson said a propane tank was actively venting when first responders arrived but wasn’t ready to declare it a gas explosion, saying the cause is under investigation.

A neighbor, Cathryn Morrissey, shot video of the devastation on her phone, capturing flames, billowing smoke and scattered debris in the early-morning darkness.

“It was traumatic,” Morrissey recalls. “We were hoping we’d find someone alive. That’s what we hoped for, that’s why we did the video, begging people to pray.”

Loud, violent noises jarred Morrissey and her husband, Paul, awake moments before.

“All of a sudden, this big loud bang, it was horrible. I’m like, ‘That’s not thunder,’” she said.

Chopper footage of the scene shows the debris field extending 100 yards in every direction.

Evenson says Royce Kreger was found in the basement of the home, leading investigators to wonder if he was checking on something, like a smell of gas. However, it’ll take some time to officially make a determination. However, he noted the power of the explosion and the damage it caused.

“This is mass destruction. To see bent metal from the frame of this home has been thrown 50-plus yards and twisted, I have not seen something quite to this degree when it comes to explosions,” Evenson said.

“This is by far, in my 20 years of responding to emergency calls, this is the largest explosion I’ve ever seen,” he added.

The fire was extinguished by 8 a.m. and investigators are now investigating and evaluating how to start cleaning up.

A person who lives about a mile away from the scene spoke on camera, saying she heard a boom.

“It was like the third world war going on. That’s what I thought was going on,” said Steve Thaemert. “I prayed for them, that’s all I could do.”

The state fire marshal’s office is helping the sheriff’s office with the investigation.