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Ammo Explodes, Home Destroyed In East Side Detroit Fire

DETROIT (WWJ) - Exploding ammunition made a tough job even tougher for Detroit firefighters battling a blaze that destroyed one home and damaged another on Detroit's east side.

The homes, in the area of at Fairview and Mack, are next door to a women and children's shelter which was not damaged.

Fire officials confirmed to WWJ Newsradio 950's Ron Dewey that there was ammunition in one of the houses at the time of the fire.

Local resident Sheila Wilson heard it ignite from down the block.

"I heard 'boom! boom!' ... It sounded like fireworks going off," Wilson said.

No injuries were reported.

A woman and two children who lived in that house weren't there when the first started at around 9 a.m. Tuesday. Although they'll have to find a new place to stay after flames gutted the structure, and left heavy water damage next door as firefighters worked to keep to fire from spreading.

Wilson said they have been trying to bring the neighborhood back with newer-built homes, but this won't help.

"This is one of the blocks that's in better condition. That could be knocked down, but that just takes away from the block; now it's gonna look a mess, with two more vacant homes on the block," Wilson said.

"I am so tired of seeing this," she added. "I've been in Detroit off and on my whole life — I'm 37 — and I've seen too many senseless fires, house fires. Why?"

Wilson believes the fire was intentionally set.

An investigation is underway.

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