Royal Oak Home Explosion Neighbors Still Jumpy at Loud Noises
Gawkers have stopped by, a cat stayed hidden for days and people are still a bit anxious after the explosion rocked the community.
Royal Oak Explosion
Monday, March 18, 2013
Royal Oak Explosion Recalls 1952 Blast
Two of the biggest explosions in the city's history were within a block and a half of one another and shared several eerie similarities; a 71-year-old Royal Oak man shares his memories of the first.
For one Royal Oak man, the explosion that demolished a Cooper Avenue house and killed a 58-year-old man Feb. 27 brings back memories of a similar disaster that leveled a Woodward Avenue sporting goods store, killing two people, 61 years ago. Kent Rathbun, 71, grew up on Banbury Road in Birmingham. He remembers having dinner with his family on Feb. 29, 1952, when “all of a sudden there was a massive explosion and boom,” he said. “Dishes all fell off from our table. Pictures fell off the walls and some of my mother’s crystal fell over and broke,” Rathbun recalls. Later that night, Rathbun, who was 10 years old at the time, went to Parm’s Sporting Goods with his father. “It was literally a crater,” he said. “I believe it was at the site of …
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Thursday, March 7, 2013
Consumers Energy Issues Update on Royal Oak Explosion
Consumers Energy reiterates its commitment to safety.
Consumers Energy today issued the following statement regarding the ongoing investigation into the Royal Oak explosion, which occurred on Feb. 27. The company reiterated its commitment to safety: In addition, we continue to be vigilant and proactive in our approach to keep the community safe by taking the following steps: Throughout the year, Consumers Energy also conducts a number of ongoing, preventative safety measures: We also have a comprehensive Integrity Management Plan in place to maintain and evaluate our pipelines, as part of the federal Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002. We review the structural integrity of our pipelines using methods that include: Consumers Energy continues to fully cooperate with the Michigan Public …
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
What is the Science of an Explosion?
A Royal Oak High School physics teacher explains how an explosion occurs.
Last week's tragic explosion in Royal Oak, which took the life of Daniel Malczynski, 58, left many residents with unanswered questions, including, "How did this happen?" As Consumers Energy continues its door-to-door outreach today—listening to residents' concerns and answering questions—we asked Royal Oak High School physics teacher Kristen Elsner to explain the science of an explosion. What is the science of an explosion? Elsner: An explosion occurs when stored energy is released very quickly. This release of stored energy does work on the object. This means that a force is exerted for a distance on the object. The force is actually radiating outward from the site of the energy release, so there will be many points of forces radiating …
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Ronald Wolf
9:14 pm on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
It is said to think that the very cold weather may have been a contibuting factor as all gasss including methanes, propanes, butanes and the oxygen that contributes to inflamability are much more dense. I remember having a creepy feeling anticipating the launch of the doomed Challenger on an unusually cold day in Florida. A faulty O ring seal is assumed to be one of the causes. I raise a lot of … more ›
Window Business Offering Help to Royal Oak Home Explosion Victims
Birmingham resident Jake Zahnow is offering free window installation to residents affected by the blast.
One local business man is doing what he can to help Royal Oak homeowners who were affected by the blast. Birmingham resident Jake Zahnow is offering free installation of windows from his company, WindowPRO, from now until May 31, reported the Observer & Eccentric. The article stated that installation is usually nearly half the cost of new windows. Royal Oak Patch reported that most neighbors returned home on Friday after a ruptured gas line cause an explosion at 4200 block of Cooper Avenue and killed Daniel Richard Malczynski, 58, of Royal Oak. Consumers Energy went door-to-door Monday to listen to residents' concerns and answering questions in the aftermath of Wednesday's explosion. “We are doing a proactive outreach to see if there is …
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Police Department Recognizes Explosion Heroes
At Monday's Royal Oak City Commission meeting, citizens are praised for their actions following a house explosion on Cooper Avenue.
Praised for rescuing an elderly woman, James Greenway, Kate Sikora and Oakland County Sheriff's Office Detective Sgt. Greg Glover received a Royal Oak Police Department Citizen Award for their actions following a house explosion on Feb. 27. Royal Oak Police Chief Corrigan O'Donohue presented a certificate to each at Monday's City Commission meeting. Greenway, a 2012 Royal Oak High School graduate and an Eagle Scout, was working at Joe's Army Navy when the incident occurred. The explosion blew out the window at the army surplus shop. "James heard a woman crying for help," said O'Donohue. "He entered the unstable structure through a hole in the wall and located an elderly woman buried under the rubble." He was able to bring the woman, who …
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Mark Itall
11:25 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Congratulations to all, especially James. Fine work. more ›
Friday, March 1, 2013
'Welcome Home': Evacuated Royal Oak Residents Return After Explosion
Officials tell residents it's safe to come home.
“Welcome home.” After living out of a hotel room for the past couple of days, those two words brought a smile to Lisa Hailer’s face as her Elmwood Avenue neighbor greeted her. On the sidewalk Friday morning, the two women exchanged their experiences of the last 40 hours. “We just got home this morning,” Hailer said. She and her husband, Jeff Hailer, and their two children have been living out of hotel rooms for the past couple of nights. "It was funny. We would go to Target and see all our neighbors. We were all buying toothbrushes, combs, pajamas. We just had to leave our houses. We didn't get time to pack," she explained. The Hailers and most of their neighbors got the all clear to return to the neighborhood after Consumers Energy and …
Diane W Drane
8:25 am on Saturday, March 2, 2013
Is there a memorial fund or anything like that being set up? I live on Elmwood. more ›
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Gas Main Rupture Found Near Site of Royal Oak Explosion
It's not clear if the rupture may be to blame for the explosion that killed a man Wednesday afternoon.
Consumers Energy today released the following statement regarding the Royal Oak gas incident: Late Wednesday afternoon, Consumers Energy received a call regarding an explosion in the 4000 block of Cooper Street in Royal Oak. The explosion destroyed one home and caused severe damage to adjacent homes. We are saddened to report that one person was found deceased in the home that exploded. First and foremost, our thoughts are with the deceased individual’s family, friends and loved ones. Consumers Energy is cooperating with the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) and other regulatory agencies in an investigation of this incident. Preliminary testing has determined that a gas service line to the house was damaged and was the possible …
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Ronald Wolf
12:21 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013
What? One genuine concern is whether the truth will ever come out with only Consummers Energy involved in the investigation. The co-incidence of the company working on a main in the area just before the explosion is much too great. Looking at the deterioration of services coming out of Detroit lately calls for a thorough investigation that includes an impartial agency. more ›
Police Release Name of Royal Oak Explosion Victim
Royal Oak Police released the name of a 58-year-old man who perished on Wednesday after his Cooper Avenue house was leveled by an explosion.
Police identified Daniel Richard Malczynski, 58, of Royal Oak as the man found on the lawn near the house explosion in the 4200 block of Cooper Avenue. Malczynski, a General Motors retiree, lived in the home alone, reported the Daily Tribune. Neighbor Georgeanna Kralik told the Oakland Press he was a hard-working person who put three daughters through Royal Oak schools. My Fox Detroit reported that Malczynski worked at General Motor's assembly plant in Lake Orion before he retired. Rupert O'Brien, a fellow retiree who met Malczynski through the UAW Local 5960 and called him a helpful, very good friend, told the Detroit News, "...Anytime we lose a brother or sister— a union member— it hurts. It hurts real deep." "Devastating. Hell of a …
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eileen
10:41 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
God Bless Dans mother Bea and his daughters. Dan was a wonderful neighbor and will be greatly missed here at huron beach more ›
UPDATE: Neighbors of Royal Oak Explosion Victim Can Return Home
City official clears the way for families to return home.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information. 3:22 p.m.: There is good news for Royal Oak residents waitng to reoccupy their homes on Cooper and Elmwood avenues. Jason Craig, Royal Oak's chief building official has inspected and cleared all houses on the two blocks, except for the two adjacent to the house that was leveled by Wednesday's explosion, according to City Manager Don Johnson. 3 p.m.: Royal Oak Mayor Jim Ellison released the following statement on Facebook Thursday afternoon: "I am struggling this morning trying to get a grip on the tragedy that befell our community yesterday. A 58-year-old resident lost his life when a powerful explosion leveled his home. The strength of the blast was unbelievable. I got the …
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jr
1:45 pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
So if you are having work done by the gas company.... might be best to have an a.m. work order than afternoon one.... did the workers just want off the clock and not do the job as well as if they would have it were a morning work order?? more ›