Thunderstorm topples tree, leading to Warren house fire

WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - Powerful thunderstorms Thursday led to a house fire caused by a toppled tree in Warren.

The family was home inside the house in the 32000 block of Chalfonte near 14 Mile and Ryan when they heard the tree fall.

"I was gone most of the day. We came home, we finally sat down to relax a little bit and kaboom," homeowner Keith Carlson said. "We just heard this big boom and the house shook."

When the tree fell, it brought down a power line that caught the house on fire.

"We could see smoke billowing out the back side of the house," Carlson said.

Carlson said his neighbor had been talking about taking the tree down soon.

The storm also knocked out power to tens of thousands of DTE customers and brought large hail that destroyed vehicle windows in some areas.