Investigators say chemicals were found on the scene of the exploded home in the 900-block of Clark St. in Lansing.
"We're pretty sure it's not a meth lab, they were used for some other purpose," said Public Information Officer Charles Stadt. "But not sure at this time."
The investigation is in its early stages, though firefighters and investigators have been on the scene since a little after 12:30 a.m.
Firefighters say all three men were on the first floor when the explosion occurred, but they don't know the cause or source of ignition yet. Stadt said that's the main focus of the investigation right now.
Neighbors say the men ran out of the burning house screaming and on fire. Tony Romero helped hose them down in a driveway where bloody footprints have been left behind.
"You could just see the skin like melted, like how a snake sheds," Romero said. "Just coming all the way down to hanging down the fingers. The hands were bloody."
The authorities responded quickly and the men were flighted to burn units in Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids. Two men suffered second and third degree burns over 50 percent of their bodies, while the third man suffered burns over 70 percent of his body.
"It was so scary," said neighbor Gloria Bennick. "It happened in just a few seconds. It just went really fast."
It took firefighters an hour-and-a-half using three hoses to put the fire completely out. Neighbors experienced minor smoke damage to their homes, but no one else was injured.
The home is likely a total loss. Stadt says the next step is deciding whether the foundation is strong enough to hold or up if it should be torn down right away for the safety of the neighborhood.
