-
News
By Allison Joy
IRON RIVER — Cleanup continues after a Feb. 10 house explosion in Iron River that left one man dead.
Over 100 windows were broken in nearby residences, as well as damage to doors and roofs caused by debris scattered across at least a three-block radius.
Crystal Lumber originally donated 68 sheets of plywood the weekend of the incident, followed by a donation from Window World of Wausau to replace all residential windows broken in the explosion.
Joe Mowery, who doesn’t currently own property in Iron River (though has in the past) drove up from his home in Florida last week to help with clean-up. By the time Mowery reached Tennessee, he had received a call back from the Wausau, Wis.-based company telling him to measure the windows needed and it would donate them all.
A team of volunteers installing the windows included Don White, who told the Reporter he showed up to help because he lived eight miles away and “if someone is willing to drive from Florida,” White should help too. Another volunteer came from Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.
One local resident told the Reporter that Mowery was also helping with a broken water heater damaged in the explosion. Another expressed gratitude for the “crew of kind-hearted people.”
At 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 10, deputies from the Iron County Sheriff’s Department and troopers from the Michigan State Police Iron Mountain Post were dispatched to an explosion at 820 Cayuga Street. Gregory Dierkes, resident of the domicile, died in the explosion.
Upon arriving at the scene, law enforcement officers were assisted by the West Iron County Fire Department, American Red Cross and emergency responders with Aspirus Medevac. Dierke was the only fatality, and law enforcement reported no other injuries.
The cause of the explosion remains unknown and the investigation is ongoing. The Iron River Police Department is leading the investigation with assistance from an MSP fire investigator.
Wendy Graham contributed to the reporting of this article.