(WXYZ) — Fire crews are on the scene of a house explosion that happened this morning in the city of Inkster.
The incident occurred at a home on Penn St. west of S. Beech Daly Rd.
Officials say a man, who was inside of the house at the time of the explosion, was injured in the blast. The victim was taken to U of M hopsital with third degree burns according to the Inkster Fire Chief.
A DTE Energy worker, who was nearby, also reportedly suffered minor injuries. Another worker was evaluated on the scene but did not seek additional treatment.
"I was in the bed this morning and I heard an explosion and it rattled the windows and the walls. I thought somebody had run into my house with a car or something. It was that devastating," said Michael Winston who lives across the street from the home that exploded. "I was hoping nobody was inside because I didn’t think anybody could survive anything like that."
Neighbors say to their knowledge a woman lives in the home with her adult son.
"I knew something had exploded I just didn’t know what," said John Henew who was riding his bike toward the house seconds before it exploded. "I was coming from Beech Daly toward John Daly and just before I got to the house that’s when the explosion happened. It kind of pushed me back. I imagine if I had been in front of the house, it probably would have blew me across the street."
The fire following the explosion was so quick, the neighbors who live directly next door said they were only able to make it out in their pajamas.
"I was in the kitchen and I heard an explosion. After that, I felt the heat in the kitchen," said Milton Ervin.
Neighbors say at least an hour before the explosion, DTE crews were working in the area. DTE could not confirm if they were working at the house that exploded. The energy company did say they were performing routine work in the area.
Both DTE and fire investigators are now working to determine a cause.
DTE Energy issued the following statement regarding the explosion:
DTE Energy is continuing to work with local authorities to investigate an incident that occurred at a home in Inkster Tuesday morning. One individual was transported to a local hospital, and we are keeping him in our thoughts and prayers for a full recovery. Two DTE employees were evaluated by first responders at the scene, and one has sought further medical treatment for a minor injury.
While DTE was performing routine construction work in the area when the incident occurred, the exact cause remains under investigation.
Our teams focus on maintaining the safety and integrity of our system of underground natural gas pipes through a robust program of inspections, maintenance and upgrades. As always, we urge anyone who may smell or suspect a gas leak to call 911, then contact DTE at 800.947.5000 (or your natural gas provider).
