House Explosion Jars Rural Neighborhood

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Beneath the rubble of a Redford Township house that exploded Sunday evening, an electronic birthday card played “Happy Birthday” over and over. Charred furniture smoldered, and a couch was hurtled across the street by the force of the blast in the 19000 block of Gaylord Street.

The massive explosion may have been caused by propane tanks inside the home, Redford Township Battalion Fire Chief Steve Norris told The Detroit News. The home hadn’t been hooked up to natural gas since 2004, DTE Energy Co. spokesman Scott Simons said.

The house blew up about 6 p.m. The man living in the house was injured.in the blast, but was conscious when he was transported to Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hills, where his current condition is unknown, WXYZ-TV said.

Neighbors weren’t injured, but their homes shook from the impact of the blast. Debris was scattered over a 1,000-foot radius and could be felt three-quarters of a mile away at the Redford Township fire station.

“It was so intense that the station thought it was right next door,” Norris told The Detroit News.