A New York community is rallying to assist a family who lost their home in a devastating explosion Tuesday and has raised over $100,000 for them in less than 24 hours.
The blast on Wailing Road in the Pine Island hamlet of Warwick obliterated the home of Craig and Denise Kunisch. Denise had been waiting for their three children to return home from school when the house exploded, officials and neighbors said.
Neighbor Mary Pohlman said she heard the blast across the street and looked out her window.
"I saw the flames come out of the left side of the house and I started to yell, 'oh, my God, oh, my God,'" she said Wednesday.
Pohlman called 911 as her husband Tom ran toward the inferno. He found Denise, the only person home, had survived.
"All of a sudden, you could see her head coming up through the garage," he said.
Investigators combed through the rubble under the rain Wednesday as Craig Kunisch carried out small crates of belongings. At a local gym, Warwick residents dropped off bags of clothing for the family.
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"I live a mile and a half down the road, and I felt the explosion yesterday, and we just want to help out where we can," said Dagny Saja.
Friends have also set up a GoFundMe page that has generated tens of thousands of dollars in donations in less than 24 hours.
"I spoke to Craig today and he says he feels that he's really blessed that he didn't lose his wife and his kids," said Mary Pohlman. "So this is not about an explosion, it's about a miracle, really."
Investigators are looking at the underground propane tank and the septic system under repair as possible causes of the explosion.
