Arkansas family identified in house explosion that killed 4 in Michigan

NORTHFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Four people from an Arkansas family were publicly identified Tuesday as the victims of a fatal house explosion in Michigan over the weekend.

Authorities said the explosion Saturday was likely caused by flammable fuel in the air and not a result of foul play.

The dead were identified as Hope Bragg, 51, husband Don Bragg, 53, and their children, Kenneth Bragg, 22, and Elizabeth Bragg, 19, all from Monticello, Arkansas, the Northfield Township Police Department said.

The explosion happened at the home of Hope Bragg’s father, Richard Pruden, 72, who remained in critical condition. Stephen Bragg, 16, was in stable condition.

The explosion destroyed the home, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of Detroit. The Braggs were visiting Michigan for the holiday, Lt. David Powell said.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Powell said of the damage.

Hope Bragg was an instructor at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, and Don Bragg worked as a research forester at the U.S. Forest Service, according to their LinkedIn pages.