Mobile home explodes in Chesterfield Township

Chesterfield Township — Contractors working in the yard of a mobile home in Chesterfield Township late Friday morning hit a natural gas line, causing an explosion and sending a large plume of smoke into the air.

The explosion happened at 10:50 a.m. near the intersection of Jamestown Drive and Georgetown Drive inside the Carriage Way manufactured home community by Interstate 94 and 24 Mile.

According to Chesterfield Township police, contractors were working with an excavator in the home's yard when they ruptured an underground natural gas line. No one was home at the time of the explosion, and no one was injured.

Firefighters from multiple agencies worked to put out the fire, including Chesterfield Township, New Baltimore, Baltimore, Macomb Township, New Haven and Selfridge Air National Guard. It was contained by 1 p.m.

Crews with DTE Energy and SEMCO Energy also were at the scene. And police officers evacuated nearby homes.

A few neighbors gathered near the site of the fire and looked on as fire crews worked. Aymen Ali said the explosion woke him up.

“I thought I was back in Iraq,” said Ali, 33. “The lady next door to me said it knocked some pictures off the wall.”

Township police said the house is a total loss.

John Raines, who lived at the home destroyed, returned as crews tended to the ruins.

“I’m just devastated," he said. "We left, we were gone from the house for an hour and came back to this. Gone for an hour to my daughter’s school for a little event they were doing. Luckily I didn’t take a nap like I was going to because that’s my bedroom. I’m sure I wouldn’t be having this discussion with you if I would have.”

Detroit News Photographer Daniel Mears contributed