GAINES TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A 77-year-old woman is in the hospital Monday morning following a house explosion in Gaines Township.
Officials with the Cutlerville and Dutton Fire Departments said the call came in just after midnight for a huge boom which was followed by flames and screaming.
Fire crews responded to the 1500 block of Fairwood Court in the Crystal Springs neighborhood off of 76th Street SE.
Around 12:20 a.m., crews rescued an elderly woman trapped inside. She was taken to the hospital with injuries, but it is unknown the extent of those at this time.
Kent County deputies helped get a waterline to the backyard of the home while firefighters rescued the woman.
Body cam footage released by the Kent County Sheriff’s Office shows the moments deputies helped get water to the back deck as firefighters were pulling the woman from the deck.
Just before 1 a.m., the fire was under control. Crews stayed on the scene working to put out hotspots for around five hours.
Part of the home collapsed during the fire, and debris was strewn throughout the area.
Fire crews left just after 5 a.m. but arrived back on scene a couple of hours later to put out to tackle hotspots that had reignited.
On Monday morning, DTE Energy released a statement about the explosion as they arrived on scene to investigate.
"DTE Energy was called to the scene of an incident at 1541 Fairwood Court in Caledonia early Monday morning. The cause of the incident is unknown at this time, and we are working with local authorities to investigate.
Safety is our top priority. Our crews arrived early Monday and immediately disconnected natural gas service to the home to ensure the safety of the surrounding area.
We understand a woman who was in the home has been transported to a local hospital, and our thoughts and prayers go to her and her loved ones in hopes for the best possible outcome.
Our teams focus on maintaining the safety and integrity of our system of underground natural gas pipes through a robust program of inspections, maintenance and upgrades. As always, we urge anyone who may smell or suspect a gas leak to call 911, then contact DTE at 800.947.5000 (or your natural gas provider)."
DTE Energy shut off gas lines to the home. A cause has yet to be determined, but a fire marshal did arrive on scene to investigate.
We will continue to bring you updates as they become available.
