Explosion that rocked Detroit home, neighborhood said to be caused by gas
(CBS DETROIT) - A gas explosion decimated a home in northwest Detroit Monday afternoon.
Minor injuries to one neighbor were reported, nothing more than scratches.
"To the community, just thanking God right now that all we have really is damaged property," said Detroit Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison Monday night.
Residents say they have friends who not only heard but felt the explosion several blocks away. Some residents nearby say they've smelled gas for days.
"We've been smelling gas for a couple of days now, we've made calls to DTE, they've come out on one occasion and told us they've taken care of the problem," said Sussex St. resident Subrina Hamilton.
"All of a sudden, there was a loud explosion. Boom. So I jumped up and ran downstairs to check on my wife, I thought it was a driveby, you know. Next thing, I look at the cross street, the whole house is gone," says Roy Monroe, who was one of the 8 homes that were damaged from the explosion that left bricks and wood scattered across the road and yards.
"We plan on removing the debris as far as the investigation to get to the exact cause of what it was per se, but we do know the house was vacant at the time," Bettison says.
He said he is unaware of any efforts made following the residents' complaints of gas smells, adding that it is part of the ongoing investigation into the explosion.
Meanwhile, DTE Energy released the following statement to CBS Detroit, regarding the incident:
"Safety is the top priority for DTE Energy - for our customers, communities and employees. Today, our teams worked with local and federal authorities as they investigated a home explosion in Detroit. The investigation confirmed that all DTE equipment was working as expected - without gas leaks. The investigation also confirmed that the incident was a result of at least one open fuel line on resident-owned equipment. We urge all residents, in any situation, if you smell or suspect a gas leak to leave the area at once, call 911, then call DTE at 800.947.5000 (or your natural gas provider), to report the situation."