St. Louis, MO – SCOTT DAVIS, THE SAGINAW NEWS
State police investigators say a buildup of propane gas in the crawl space under a home here may have ignited and cased an explosion that killed two people.
Meanwhile, authorities have identified the second victim of the 11 p.m. Saturday blast as 42-year-old Archie Jay Harter.
Harter had moved in with his sister, Earline “Connie” Hungerford, and her family, at their residence on Adams in Bethany Township and died in the flames with his brother-in-law, 39-year-old Rick Hungerford, authorities said.
Other family members are continuing to recovering from the tragedy.
Doctors at Saint Mary’s hospital in Saginaw treated Earline Hungerford, 45, for burns and released her Monday. Covenant HealthCare listed her two daughters, 3-year-old Meghan, and 5-year-old Ann, in fair condition.
The explosion rattled house windows more than a mile away, blowing out three walls, caving in the two-story farm house and engulfing it in flames.
The Hungerfords had moved into the rental house two weeks ago because they needed more room after Harter took up residence with them, neighbors said.
Members of the Gratiot County Sheriff’s Department and state police fire marshals say they are continuing to try to pinpoint the cause of the explosion.