DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Detroit home was reduced to rubble and seven others were damaged after a home explosion Monday in the 16000 block of Sussex and Puritan on Detroit's westside.
Neighbors tell 7 Action News they reported the smell of gas to DTE days before the explosion – and some are now displaced while their homes are being repaired.
A neighbor who was home at the time of the explosion says it’s a miracle they are okay.
“All of a sudden we heard a noise that sound like a bomb went off,” said Audrey Seay.
Seay lives just a few doors down and confirms the home was vacant and undergoing renovations at the time of the explosion.
“The house was flat, everything was gone,” Seay said.
Ring camera video captured the explosion of the home on Detroit’s west side Monday afternoon along with drone footage that showed the extent of the damage.
DTE was on scene investigating and has now confirmed the explosion was the result of a gas leak, though they claim it is not due to their equipment.
DTE released a statement saying the incident was a result of at least one open fuel line on resident-owned equipment inside the home.
DTE released the following statement about the cause of the explosion:
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 inside the home.
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.
7 Action News has learned this is the second time DTE was called to investigate the area in the past two days.
“It was reported a couple of times that there was gas smelled by some of the neighbors, and actually last night they came out and were looking at the wrong house,” said Lisa Thorton who lives in the neighborhood.
Several neighbors are now displaced and a GoFundMe page has been set up to help rebuild the block. But through the rubble, the community says they are thankful.
“We just thank God that nobody was in the house,” Thorton said.
