‘Sounded like a bomb’: Ann Arbor house explosion injures 1, blast plume seen for miles

Natalie Neysa Alund
 USA TODAY

A house explosion in Ann Arbor, Michigan has left at least one person injured, police said Monday morning.

The blast was reported just south of the city in the Old West Side neighborhood, a Washtenaw County dispatcher said, and smoke from the blast site could be seen for miles, witnesses reported.

Multiple people reported hearing an explosion then seeing a large fire plume southwest of downtown about just after 6 a.m ET.

Paul Schrems, who lives several blocks from where the blast took place, said he was sitting in his living room when the explosion took place.

“I heard what sounded like a bomb and the whole house shook,” Schrems told USA TODAY. “I put on my coat and decided to see what happened. Cops rushed down… I followed them and saw the whole house on fire. Hopefully everyone made it out safely.”

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The Ann Arbor Police Department said several streets around the blast site were closed and asked people to avoid the area.

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One man injured in house explosion

Police, assisting the Ann Arbor Fire Department at the scene, said one person suffered non life-threatening injurers and was taken to a local hospital.

It was not immediately known if anyone else was hurt.

The person transported was inside the home when the blast went off, Ann Arbor Fire Chief Mike Kennedy told CBS Detroit.

Another home was also impacted by the blast, Kennedy told the outlet.

Cause of Ann Arbor explosion not yet known

The home where the explosion took place is a total loss, according to police.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately known.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.

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