House explosion near Grand Rapids was murder-suicide attempt by husband, deputies say

PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. |WWMT — A house explosion that killed a man and critically injured a woman in Michigan is believed to have been a murder-suicide attempt, according to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO).

The “massive, fiery” explosion happened at a house on Rollaway Drive NE off of 7 Mile Road, about 7.8 miles north of downtown Grand Rapids, just before 4 a.m. Tuesday.

Deputies believe the incident was a domestic-related situation. They say the fire was intentionally set by the husband, and it was intended to be a murder-suicide.

Two neighbors, a man and a teen boy, pulled the woman from the debris after the explosion, according to the sheriff’s office. One of the neighbors hurt his hands and emergency responders treated him at the scene.

“Without their actions, it’s likely that she [the woman] would have perished in the fire,” deputies said.

Initially, deputies said they knew a man lived at the house with the woman who is in the hospital. However, they weren’t sure if he had been home when the explosion happened.

Just after noon, investigators found a man dead and believe it is him, but official identification is pending.

The explosion destroyed the house and a car in the driveway, deputies said, and debris from the home continued to burn afterwards.

Before they arrived, deputies said they received around 50 calls from people in the area who heard or saw the explosion.

DTE Energy crews also responded to the scene. Officials said they were called out to “help make the scene safe” while law enforcement investigates.

“At DTE Energy, safety is our top priority – for our customers, employees and communities,” officials said in an email.

KCSO is actively working the scene and trying to figure out the cause.

Deputies say, at this time, it is believed natural gas was allegedly leaked into the basement of the home. However, the “ignition source” remains unknown.

KCSO is asking anyone who may have footage of the incident in the area to share it with them online as it may help them figure out what happened, according to a post on their Facebook page.

This is a developing story. News Channel 3 will provide updates as they become available.