ORION TWP. (WWJ) — Two victims remain hospitalized following a suspected gas explosion Tuesday night that rocked the Keatington New Town Association condo complex in the area of Waldon and Baldwin Roads.
Officials on Wednesday said the explosion was likely caused by a gas leak inside one of the condos, as Consumers Energy officials said an initial inspection of their infrastructure showed “no abnormalities” outside.
The blast, which happened around 6:30 p.m., left 18 units either completely destroyed or significantly damaged and in need of inspection. A dozen others also sustained damage and need to be assessed, officials said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference.
Orion Twp. Supervisor Chris Barnett said Wednesday it is “an absolute miracle, if you have seen that scene, that we are currently talking about no fatalities.”
As the explosion has left dozens of people effectively homeless, Barnett said the township office has been “inundated” by community members looking for ways to help.
“This is the part that we are good at, our community. After the event of a tragedy, this is where we shine,” Barnett said Wednesday, noting many community members stepped up in the wake of the Oxford school shooting and Rochester Hills splash pad shooting and they “are doing it again.”
Those who are in need of help or want to help others in the wake of the explosion can call a special line the township has organized at 248-391-0304 ext. 2009. Barnett said you can also email help@oriontownship.org.
You can also help by calling the American Red Cross at 1-800- RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Barnett also said donations and cash contributions can be made through Love INC of North Oakland County by calling 248-693-4357 or online at https://loveincofnoc.org.
All clothing and food donations can be dropped off at Woodside Bible Church, located in Canterbury Village at 2500 Joslyn Road. Residents in need of food may use Woodside’s Village Food Pantry, also located in Canterbury Village at (2325 Joslyn Court); their phone number is 248-391-1900.
Barnett said other partners helping out include Christ The Redeemer Church, the North Oakland County Coalition, Lake Orion Community School District, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and Century Management, the management company of the condo association.
Sheriff Mike Bouchard noted during Wednesday’s press conference that community members should take caution when donating to relief efforts.
“It’s the holidays and we have a very generous community, so we know a lot of people are gonna be looking for ways to help people that have been displaced or have been injured,” Bouchard said. “We also know there’ll be people looking to make a profit off of this tragedy and set up false charities. So we encourage you not to give to something that’s not either on the township’s social media or press release or on our social media because we don’t know who they are.”
Bouchard noted the sheriff’s office saw this happen in the wake of the Oxford and Rochester Hills tragedies.
“We’ve seen people try to profit criminally off of other people’s pain and suffering. I hate to say that, but that’s the world in which we live,” he said, noting the “bonafide locations” people can donate to have been shared on the OCSO and Orion Township’s social media channels.
Just as community members are stepping up to donate, WWJ's Tim Pamplin reports stories of heroism are emerging after the explosion.
Bailey Warren told him she and her boyfriend Kyle Larsen, who just moved into the neighborhood a few weeks ago, saw “a big flameball coming towards their house” and then a short time later heard cries for help.
That’s when Larsen says he and his girlfriend “went into crisis mode” as he ran across the street and she dialed 911.
“We could hear her yelling for help, so we started pulling back some of the beams and pulled this wall off of her,” Larsen said. “We carried her over to our front porch here and she had cuts all over, so I was wiping her face, pulling glass out.”
Barnett said at the press conference the township had planned to recognize an Amazon driver who was in the area at the time of the explosion and jumped into action to help victims, but he changed his mind shortly before he was set to speak.
“I’m not ready to be around a bunch of people. Just happy I could have been there to help,” the driver said in a message that Barnett read Wednesday. “All the recognition I need is between me and the gentleman and God. But I would love to visit that older gentleman, if you could help me with that.”
Barnett said there were “many heroes” on-scene Tuesday night and many more will emerge in the coming weeks as they community steps up to help the victims.