March 28--Two children were among six injured when a house was leveled in an explosion Thursday night on Fairport Street on Detroit's east side.
Detroit Police Capt. Mark Bliss said two of the people injured were in critical condition and the other four were listed in temporary serious condition.
Detroit Arson Chief Charles Simms said a 2-year-old and 3-year-old were transported to St. John Hospital and a 35-year-old man was transported to Detroit Receiving Hospital. Simms said they suffered facial burns.
Two of the other adults had facial and torso burns. No information was available on the last adult, and officials were not releasing their names.
Simms said four fire investigators were still on the scene at 11:15 p.m. trying to determine the cause of the fire. DTE Energy workers told him the family did have electricity on at the house, but not gas. Officials had said it was possible a stove was being used to heat the home on the 1900 block of Fairport, near Manning Street, using gas lines.
"We're trying to confirm if, No. 1, was it on, and 2, was it a legal or an illegal hookup?" Simms said.
Bliss said the explosion occurred around 7:55 p.m.
Firefighters were still on the scene after 11 p.m. attempting to put out the fire. DTE crews were on scene shutting off the gas line.
Where the orange brick house had stood, firefighters clustered around smoke and rubble late Thursday, knocking down flames that still came from the structure. Neighbors -- some from blocks away -- gathered to watch the scene.
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Cheryl Anderson said she was watching TV in her home on Fairport when she heard an explosion that shook her house.
"I heard this big boom,"Anderson said. "And our dogs started barking. I looked outside and I saw a whole bunch of people and fire trucks. They wouldn't let us through."
DeQuane Jones was at a friend's house on the same block when he heard the explosion.
"I never saw nothing like this," Jones said. "We didn't know if the rest of the houses would catch on fire."
The resident of the house next door, who declined to give her name, said police prevented her from entering her house.
"One of my neighbors called and told me," she said. "I was down on 7 Mile and came back to try and get my dog, but they won't let me through. I'm scared my house is going to explode next."
Contact Katrease Stafford: [email protected] or 313-223-4759. Follow her on Twitter @KatreaseS.
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