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Orion Township community holds vigil for victims of condo explosion

Survivor says the community support was immediate

ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A vigil was held Saturday for those injured and displaced after a condo explosion in Orion Township Tuesday.

Among the group that gathered at the explosion site was resident Danielle Redilla.

Redilla, 32, was inside the condo when it exploded.

“I just felt hot air in my face and then I looked in my corner kind of where my wall is shared with my neighbor and it was totally in flames,” Redilla said.

---> ‘Absolute miracle’: Orion Township officials praise community for heroics in condo explosion

She managed to escape unharmed.

“I was able to like squeeze out of a really small opening in my front door and get out and I had no pants or shoes on,” she said.

Redilla said the community support was immediate.

“Within five minutes of me being out of the building I had clothes, I had shoes, I had a chair to sit in,” she said. “The help has just been incredible.”

Newlyweds Drake and Nina Falconer are also grateful for the community support after losing their home in the explosion.

“We’re thankful for our lives and our health and that we both weren’t home but it’s going to be a tough time to know about the things that we lost and the things that we worked for that are gone,” Drake Falconer said.

The Falconer’s two cats have been missing since the explosion.

“We can’t replace the lives of two of our pets,” he said.

They continue to search for them in hopes they survived.

---> How to help residents impacted by explosion, fire in Orion Township


About the Author
Jacqueline Francis headshot

Jacqueline Francis is an award-winning journalist who joined the WDIV team in September 2022. Prior to Local 4, she reported for the NBC affiliate in West Michigan. When she’s not on the job, Jacqueline enjoys taking advantage of all the wonders Michigan has to offer, from ski trips up north to beach days with her dog, Ace.

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