A massive fire broke out Monday night at a suburban Detroit warehouse known for storing flammable materials, setting off an explosion that shook homes and rained debris up to a mile away, authorities and residents said. did.
The Clinton Township fire was extinguished early Tuesday, but the potential health effects were unknown.
Emergency services were called to the building, owned by a company called Select Distributors, at 8.50pm on Monday. The Clinton Township Police Department warned residents that debris “will fly through the air and fall up to a mile away from the explosion.”
People were told to stay indoors and avoid the area.
Clinton Township Fire Chief Tim Duncan said at a news conference Tuesday morning. It was announced that a person believed to be 19 years old was killed in the explosion. He said the person was about 400 meters down the road from the explosion site and was injured by the flying cylinder.
Detroit's NBC News affiliate WDIV received calls from viewers who said they heard explosions as far away as the neighboring Oakland County town of Troy, 25 miles to the west. Clinton Township is located in Macomb County.
Some callers said the vibrations caused objects in their homes to rattle, while others asked whether the explosion was gunfire or fireworks.
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel told WDIV just after 11 p.m. Monday that the fire was under control. Duncan told reporters that traffic in the area would be restricted due to the explosion, which occurred shortly before a news conference Tuesday morning.
“At this stage, we do not believe there is a risk to the community,” Mr Duncan said. “That's why we're trying to keep people as far away as possible.”
Police said one firefighter was injured by the exploding cylinder, and a bystander also suffered minor injuries and was treated at a local hospital. It is unclear whether the bystander was the 19-year-old victim who was killed.
Duncan told reporters by phone that no one was in the building at the time of the fire and that the debris came primarily from 12-inch metal containers, each weighing several pounds.
“The building was almost completely destroyed. Firefighters were unable to access the building because there were hundreds, if not thousands, of explosions,” he said.
Local residents were told to close their windows and stay indoors.
witness captured the scene A video taken from a distance and posted on social media shows multiple, sustained explosions shooting into the sky. One official said the explosion lasted more than 30 minutes.
Police and fire officials requested assistance from other local law enforcement agencies and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as the store is “known to store flammable materials.”
Police and firefighters were on the scene until early Tuesday morning, clearing debris from surrounding roads.
Select Distributors says on its website that it supplies novelty items and phone accessories to dollar stores, and sells e-cigarette products, nitrous oxide and CBD oil.
