TAYLOR, MI (WDIV/CNN) - It was a noise that first caught the attention of neighbors on Wednesday. “We were just cleaning out our car, and all of sudden we heard big boom. We thought it was coming from that way,” a man said, pointing in a direction away from the actual site of the noise.
But the noise that rattled the neighborhood came from inside a house.
It wasn't until neighbors saw smoke and fire coming from the side of the house did they connect the two. They quickly jumped into action by rushing to the front door. “And when I opened it up this big cloud came in my face and I ran back,” a woman said.
Cell phone video shows the intensity of the smoke and fire. “The smoke hit me in the face but the heat is what prevented me from going in,” a woman said.
Neighbors knew an 87-year-old mother and her nearly 60-year-old daughter lived in the home. They held out hope the house was empty. “We were all hoping they were actually at a doctor’s appointment,” a woman said.
By the time fire crews arrived they found the mother in the side bedroom. But it wasn't until after the fire was out did they locate the daughter. She was burned beyond recognition.
“It’s terrible. We've lived here for 55 years. They've lived here 60,” a woman said.
The cause of the blast, but they said there was no natural gas leak inside the home, WDIV reported.
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