Chesterfield home explodes, burns after yard crew ruptures natural gas line

Firefighters battled a ferocious fire Friday morning that had broken out in a Chesterfield home after a ruptured gas line caused an explosion, according to fire department and news reports. Dramatic video of the fire was captured on video.

There were no injuries, but the home was a total loss, fire officials added.

Early reports, however, had claimed "multiple people," including "a child" were trapped inside, however, this proved to be incorrect police and firefighters said.

Several fire departments responded to the 10:50 a.m. call that the home, on Jamestown Drive in the Carriage Way Trailer Park, Chesterfield Fire Department Sgt. Ken Anderson said, adding that the mobile home, was engulfed in flames.

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TV news stations broadcast overhead video of the scene taken from a helicopter that showed flames licking a charred and partly-missing roof as firefighters sprayed water onto the structure and into the blaze to try to control and extinguish it.

Much of the home's roof appeared to have been blown or burnt off, with debris littering the yard.

The fire, authorities said, was caused by contractors who ruptured the underground natural gas line with an excavator, setting off the powerful explosion. The contractors escaped without injury and SEMCO Gas Company shut down the gas line which had been fueling a large flame.

Chesterfield firefighters said they eventually were able to safely extinguish the fire with help from other fire departments, including crews from nearby New Baltimore, Macomb, New Haven and Selfridge Air National Guard Base.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Chesterfield home catches fire after yard crew ruptures gas line