WARREN (WWJ) -- Fire investigators in Warren believe it was a gas leak that caused a house exploded overnight, sending debris flying into yards and across the road.
The explosion and ensuing fire erupted around 12:45 a.m. on Friday, September 13, on Elroy Avenue, in the area of Gratiot Avenue and 8 Mile Road.
Authorities have confirmed that the single-story home was vacant, and no one was injured.
It took a couple of hours for firefighters to put the fire out.
The home, which was up for sale, appears to be a total loss.
Neighbors talking to WWJ Newsradio 950's Charlie Langton said the sound of the explosion could be heard for miles around.
"Like a big grenade going off; a bomb, actually. A bomb," said Renee Kollzynski-Walczak, who lives a block and-a-half away.
The blast shook her home, and there's some damage.
"All my family pictures that I have on my wall all fell, cracked," she told Langton. "My front window, my bathroom window and one spare bedroom window is broken. It got cracks in them. So I have to replace them before winter hits, or I'm gonna be cold."
According to the Warren Fire Department, several other homes in the area suffered significant damage, including the home next door, whose foundation sustained significant structural damage, forcing the occupants to find temporary housing.
The explosion also damaged other nearby houses and parked vehicles, sending debris flying in all directions.
Damage reports range from broken windows and damage to the siding, as well as impacts from debris landing on nearby parked vehicles.
When the sun came up Langton said the neighborhood was abuzz with people checking out the scene and taking pictures as they headed out to work or school.
Fire Investigators determined that the the explosion and fire may have been caused by a natural gas leak.
Final determination, however, will require further investigations by the utility companies in conjunction with fire investigators.
Fire investigation believe there was a natural gas leak
Fire investigation believe there was a natural gas leak
