PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A freak accident left a Pittsfield Township family homeless after a small explosion caused a large-scale fire at their home near Washtenaw Avenue and Central Boulevard.
Last Friday just before 11p.m., Cheryle Kangas was at work when she received a call from her 19-year-old son, who was fixing up a car in the garage of their home.
"I heard like pops and explosions," Kangas said.
As Kangas raced home, she learned that as her son was fixing a car, wires in the car sparked, causing the gas tank to explode. The flames injured the 19-year-old and quickly spread from the garage to the entire house.
The Pittsfield Township Fire Department said due to the large home and the vast flames, they were assisted on scene by the Ypsilanti city, Ypsilanti Township, Ann Arbor city and Ann Arbor Township fire departments along with Pittsfield Township police.
Kangas' husband Richard was home at the time and helped get their four children out, including a 6-year-old who was sleeping. The children also managed to save all of the family pets. However, the home is a complete loss.
“I had to sit from afar and watch everything that we worked hard for just disappear," Richard Kangas said.
Cheryle Kangas grew up in the home and her grandfather built it himself in the 1960s. As she looks at the remains, she's heartbroken yet grateful.
“Again, thank God that nobody was injured and everybody is OK. But when you come back and look at that, it’s like — 'what if,'" Cheryle Kangas said.
The family also houses family friends that need a place to stay and now, everyone is looking for temporary housing until the family can rebuild. The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover expenses.
