The city of Ann Arbor was rocked early Monday morning when a house explosion in the 700 block of South Seventh Street sent shockwaves through the surrounding neighborhoods. The Ann Arbor Police Department released body cam footage on social media, showing the aftermath of the blast and their rapid response as they secured the area and assisted the injured homeowner. According to The Detroit News, the explosion occurred at around 6 a.m. and was contained within 20 minutes by Ann Arbor firefighters.
The home was destroyed in the explosion, with the video capturing the homeowner, a 76-year-old man, being helped to walk to an ambulance. Luckily, nobody else was injured in the incident. Investigators believe the man was attempting to heat his home using two 20-pound propane tanks in lieu of his turned-off natural gas and water service. The ignition source of the explosion remains unidentified. A firefighter also sustained minor injuries after slipping on ice at the scene, as ClickOnDetroit reports, the homeowner miraculously suffered only a bad concussion.
The explosion has now sparked a wider conversation about the safety of alternative residential heating methods, especially as the colder months force residents to seek unconventional measures to stay warm. As the neighborhood begins to rebuild, a GoFundMe campaign has been established to help the affected homeowner cover his medical expenses and find a new place to live, already surpassing its goal. This communal rallying, showcased by the fundraising effort, underlines the resilience and camaraderie of the local community in the face of adversity.
Repercussions of the explosion went beyond the immediate vicinity of the home, with reports by Hoodline noting that windows in at least one nearby home were also blown out. The intensity of the blast was such that resident Paul Schrems described it to the Detroit Free Press as having "sounded like a bomb." Although the official investigation into the explosion's cause is being led by the fire department and has since closed, it has to identify whether a fire occurred before or after the blast.
