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Neighbors struggle after vacant house explosion on Detroit’s west side

No one was killed in the explosion

DETROIT – A house explosion rocked a neighborhood and left an expensive path of destruction as trouble for neighbors continue on Detroit’s west side.

The explosion occurred Monday (Oct. 2) around 3:30 p.m. in the 16000 block of Sussex Street near Greenfield Avenue and Puritan Street.

When the vacant house blew up, neighboring houses saw bricks flying, windows shattering, and even a tree was snapped in half.

And for one elderly neighbor, she’s scrambling to get her blown-out windows fixed.

Mary Graham, 94, has lived in the neighborhood for 54 years. The explosion badly damaged her home.

“I am 94 years old, and I was born in 1929,” said Graham. “I have to leave my home of 54 years and go somewhere.”

Graham is not leaving her home for good, but for a few months while her house is being repaired to her windows. The walls of her home are cracked as well.

Read: Fire crews respond to house explosion on Detroit’s west side

Graham heard the blast and then heard waves of debris hitting her home.

“I came to the front door and held on as I almost fainted,” Graham said. “The house was gone.”

On most afternoons, Graham would sit on her front porch, but luckily, on Monday (Oct 2), she wasn’t.

“I’m usually out here in the sun getting my Vitamin D between 3 and 3:30 p.m.,” Graham said. “I was out there, and this is where I sit. I wasn’t meant to be out here.”

The home adjacent to the vacant house that exploded has been condemned due to the damage it received.


About the Authors
Shawn Ley headshot

Local 4 Defender Shawn Ley is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with Local 4 News for more than a decade.

Brandon Carr headshot

Brandon Carr is a digital content producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with WDIV Local 4 since November 2021. Brandon is the 2015 Solomon Kinloch Humanitarian award recipient for Community Service.

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