PLAINFIELD TWP., Mich. — A newspaper delivery man noticed a fire in the garage of a home near Comstock Park. He banged on the door, the dogs started barking and the six people inside got out.
Minutes later an explosion in that garage destroyed the home, sending shockwaves through the neighborhood.
It all happened around 4:40 am Sunday July 4 on Pleasant Creek Ave in Plainfield Township.
“We thought we heard fireworks, all of a sudden we hear, BOOM,” said Julie Dorr who was staying across the street when the explosion happened
The garage exploded just minutes after firefighters arrived on scene and were circling the property to make sure no one else was inside
The impact was strong enough to throw a firefighter to the ground and the blast, which could be seen in the sky miles away, sent debris throughout the area damaging at least three other homes.
Firefighters are still looking into what may have caused the initial fire but say that giant blast was a 100-pound propane tank exploding. That tank became a giant projectile and they are still looking for it to help in their investigation.
“It could potentially be anywhere from a half mile away or a little bit further depending on how full that was," Plainfield Fire Department District Chief Kyle Svoboda said. "And we're asking neighbors in the area to check your back yards. Maybe check your front yards if you're just arriving home. And if you do see a large propane tank, it's about 100-pound cylinder, to call the Plainfield Fire Department."
Thankfully everyone, including the firefighters are okay.
The home meanwhile was a total loss, as well as the family’s belongings.
Neighbors have already started raising money for the family and there’s a GoFundMepage set-up to help during this difficult time.
