Tom Davis and Eleni Vrettos were supposed to be celebrating the happiest day of their lives on Saturday, but instead after their vows, the bride and groom found themselves racing to their Cicero home after learning it had exploded.
Dressed in her gown and heels, Vrettos trudged her way through the snow to find smoke streaming out of the place she called home for most of her life. Her beloved cats, who she called her children and named signature drinks after at the wedding, gone.
“I haven’t slept or eaten,” Vrettos said Monday. “I’m just devastated. My stomach’s in knots.”
The investigation into why the home in the 2200 block of Central Avenue exploded about 5 p.m. Saturday remains ongoing, officials said. The explosion left one person dead and displaced multiple families, according to town officials.
A total of 11 units and families were impacted, town officials said. A neighboring building was also damaged by fire and there was minor damage to a third adjacent building, officials said.
Daniel Salgado, 47, was in Berwyn when he got word that his family’s building and business, Rocio’s Beauty Salon, were destroyed in the explosion.
“I ran over here and found out the madness of everything going on,” Salgado said. His mother, who is 72, has been in business for decades. Salgado is unsure of what will come next for his family.
“My parents, they’re all displaced,” said Salgado, noting that his parents’ home is unlivable, while the windows at the front of the salon are blown out and the inside is heavily damaged.
“My mom is of age. I don’t know that she can start back up,” Salgado said. “Maybe she doesn’t have to. Maybe we can recover. But … it’s the fact that we don’t know what’s going to happen next. That’s the part that’s hard.”
Authorities have not released the name of the person killed in the blast, but it is believed that the person was outside of the home at the time of the explosion, town officials said.
Cicero is also working with the Red Cross to provide temporary housing and other aid to those affected.
“People are devastated with this situation. It’s really tragic,” Joy Squier, spokesperson for the Red Cross, said. Since the explosion, Squier said that Red Cross volunteers have been working to provide meals and counseling for the families, among other services.
Vrettos said that losing her cats has been especially heartbreaking. She had cat posters and signature drinks at the wedding named after some of the furry family members.
At the time of the blast, Vrettos’ four cats — Bambi, Reya, Graham and Tucker — and her sister’s two, Grey and Old Boy, were in the home.
“They were loving and they were my children. They cuddled up every night,” Vrettos said. “I don’t know, for some reason I just had hope like, ‘Maybe (my cats) did get out.’”
The home, Vrettos also said, was a way for her to remember her dad who died in 2022. Vrettos described her father as the “chef of the house” — always experimenting in the kitchen and making sure that his family was well-fed.
“That was a remembrance of him and now that the house is gone, all our photos, memories,” Vrettos said. “I know we have a lot of digital stuff, but it’s not the same.”
A Gofundme page has also been created for Vrettos’ family.
“We don’t know what comes next, but we do know we have each other,” Vrettos said. “People are supportive and we’re appreciative of anyone who has reached out.”
The buildings damaged Saturday ranged from minor to more severe, town officials said. According to Carolyn Arias, general assistance director, some of the residences have broken doors and windows that must be repaired before families can return.
President Larry Dominick expressed condolences to the family Sunday and directed that a donation drive be organized to help the families. More information on ways to help the families will be released soon.
