One Year Since Wayne Furniture Store Blast that Killed Two

WAYNE, Mich. (WJBK) - One year ago, an explosion leveled Franks Furniture in Wayne. Two people were killed and the owner was hurt.

The spot where the furniture store once stood is now just an empty space. Nearby buildings are still boarded up.

It was a somber day in Wayne on the one year anniversary. Friends left flowers at the site, and employees of Franks Furniture have hung a wreath that reads "Remembering dear friends Jim and Leslie".

Kelly Hiveley called Consumers Energy at 7:40 a.m. on December 29, 2010.

"My husband had been outside. He had smelt some gas. He called me out there, and it was just so strong. I knew immediately something was wrong," she said.

At 9:05 a.m., the Franks Furniture store just ten houses away on Wayne Road exploded, badly injuring and burning owner Paul Franks and killing employees Jim Zell and Leslie Machniak.

"These were both very close families. Lost a significant member of the family, and they have to move on," said attorney Stuart Sklar.

He represented the families of Machniak and Zell in their lawsuit against Consumers Energy. They reached a confidential settlement, as did Paul Franks.

Last week, Consumers Energy issued their report -- the findings of their investigation that a two inch steel main in the alley behind Franks was separated, but how still isn't clear. Click here to read the full report.

What is clear is that the first call of a gas leak came into Consumers Energy at 6:13 a.m. A 32 year veteran service technician arrived at 6:40 a.m., did testing, couldn't find the source of the leak and left for another call at 7:00 a.m., something many believe violates a number of policies and procedures, putting public safety at risk.

Consumers Energy admits the technician did not perform several tests while on scene.

"It's my understanding that the Michigan Public Service Commission now has the report and they're going to do their own investigation or at least follow up," Sklar said. "We'll see what they do. They're the ones that are responsible ultimately for looking after all of us."

Aris Argy felt the blast at the hardware store across the street. The store was damaged and shut down briefly while the frantic scene played out on Wayne Road.

"Felt like a plane landed on the building. It's just not a good feeling. Don't wish that on anybody," he said.

A year later, Paul Franks is said to be doing much better. He's not granting interviews. All the families are asking for privacy. However, sources say it's unlikely he would rebuild on the same site. Perhaps they will set up shop in an existing building. For now, they'll continue operating out of their warehouse on Michigan Avenue.

At the hardware store, they're sorely missed.

"One year later, we're glad to be here and running and fully operational. The City of Wayne has been very helpful to us, and we miss … Franks Furniture," said Bob Kaplan, who owns the store.

"Very popular business. Always had customers in, so you can't put a dollar figure on that. It's way more than just a tax revenue," explained Wayne City Manager Robert English.

He says emergency service that tragic day cost $250,000, but it's the lives lost that are remembered on this day as priceless.

"Just hope that everybody remembers the families, and that's the main thing," English told us.

For Hiveley and others who live in Wayne, there's hope the stores will someday reopen.

"My hope is that area ten houses from us … rebuilds and we kind of see our … tiny City of Wayne come back," she said.