Video: House explosion on city's west side scatters debris across neighborhood
DTE investigating source of house explosion on Detroit's west side
A house explosion Thursday on Forrer Street took place after DTE restored gas service at a home being worked on.
FOX 2 - A house explosion on Detroit's west side has left a pile of rubble where a home once stood Thursday afternoon.
The backstory:
SkyFOX was over the scene in the 19400 block of Forrer Street. It is unclear if there are any injuries, first responders are surveying the scene. Watch the video player above to view the aftermath.
Detroit house explosion aftermath
A Detroit home exploded on Forrer Street Thursday. This video combines the view from the street level, an interview with a neighbor and the overhead view from SkyFOX.
Residents in the neighborhood said the explosion was so strong that it shook their homes in the area of Forrer and St. Martins.
"I heard clicking sounds coming from the gas meter," said neighbor Gregory Hollins. "I told him, gas meters don't usually click - but I didn't think anything of it. I said it was pretty cold so let me go back in the house.
"Five minutes after I go into the house, it blows up."
Neighbor April Jones said that nobody lives in the house.
"I was asleep and I heard a boom, and it woke me out of my sleep," she said. "I ran to the door and I seen that. He said that DTE came out at 11 o'clock and after that, it blew up.
"I'm paranoid, I'm scared. I've never seen anything like that before."
Some witnesses who spoke to FOX 2 report that a gas smell was detected, but it is unclear at this point what caused the explosion.
DTE was at the house earlier today and restored gas service. It remained vacant the past couple years and was being worked on.
DTE has dug up the gas line to investigate what the cause may have been.
What they're saying:
DTE Energy released a statement:
"At DTE Energy, safety is our top priority – for our customers, employees and communities. This afternoon, our team was called to an incident at a home in Detroit to help make the scene safe while local authorities investigate."
Stay with FOX 2 for more information on this developing story.
The Source: Information for this story is from a reporter at the scene and from aerial views by SkyFOX.