The Warren Police Department, Warren Fire Department and Michigan State Police are at a home on Gentner Street near Eight Mile and Gratiot after reports of an explosion.
According to police, the owner of the home was handling an explosive device described as a bomb. The device exploded, started a fire in the home and garage. The man’s hand was blown off and he was taken to the hospital.
People nearby say they heard a loud boom around 3 p.m.
Dionta Banks lives across the street and said he was on his way home from work when he heard the noise.
“With the windows up like you heard it loud as day and then my roommates call me and are like ‘The house is on fire next door, hurry up and get here!’ Well I was two minutes away,” Banks said. “I pulled up, the house started exploding even more. It probably exploded 10 times.”
Lawrence Behr also heard the explosion but he was only about a block away sitting in his car.
“It was one massive explosion, followed by several smaller ones and then it sounded like fireworks going off after that,” Behr said.
He got out of his car and walked to the end of his street.
“All I seen was a gray cloud of smoke going across the street,” Behr said.
Banks said he saw orange flames.
“Like the garage was engulfed in flames. That’s why you see now, there’s no more garage,” Banks said.
Neighbors said there was a dog inside at the time of the explosion and may have run away. It’s a pitbull mix named Bugatti. If you see the dog, you’re asked to call the Warren Police Department.