Woman dies in house explosion

A young woman has died in a house explosion, Saturday, Feb. 26, according to Le Sueur Count Sheriff, Brett Mason.

While the woman’s identity has not been officially released, Facebook posts have indicated it was Kailey Mach.

Her mother, Vicki Mach, posted around 8:00 a.m. Sunday morning: “It is in bitter shock, that I come to tell you our baby girl, Kailey Mach was involved in a house explosion and did not survive. Our hearts are shattered and mine is still numb in shock … We are asking for our time and immediate family only at this time. Fly high baby girl ... you were an angel here on earth to us and we will never be the same.”

Mach was Kolacky Days Miss Congeniality 2018-2019, and a 2019 graduate of Tri-City United High School.

Mason reported at approximately 11:25 p.m., his office received a 911 call reporting an explosion and fire at Aric Holicky's home, located at 211th Avenue in rural Lexington Township and approximately six miles northeast of Le Center.

The Le Center Fire Department, along with deputies from the Sheriff's Office responded to the location and determined that the house had exploded, causing it to collapse. When they arrived, the structure was on fire.

After the fire department arrived on the scene and began extinguishing the fire, it was determined that Holicky and his family were out of the area, but there was a 20- year old female subject staying at the residence, house-sitting and taking care of the dogs.

After the fire was extinguished, fire department personnel located the deceased body of a female subject in the basement. Her body was removed from the scene and taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office in St. Paul for an autopsy and positive identification.

Mason advised that the cause of the explosion and fire remain under investigation by the Sheriff's Office and the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Agencies responding to this Incident included the Le Sueur County Sheriff's Office, the Le Center Fire Department, the State Fire Marshal office, the Montgomery Fire Department, and the Le Center Ambulance Service.