WHITE LAKE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Authorities have confirmed that the large fire in White Lake Township on Friday, Nov. 24, started at a crude oil refinery plant.
The cause of the fire is unknown and remains under investigation.
The blast could be heard for miles and rocked the local community.
“Everybody was just in an absolute panic,” said Carl Matheny. “If I’m being honest, it was the scariest thing that I’ve ever witnessed in my entire life.”
Matheny and his family were ordered to evacuate their home after the nearby oil well exploded. His family lives across from the well and the blasts packed a one-two punch.
“The first blast knocked everything off the walls and caught everybody’s attention,” Matheny recalled. “The next one goes off and our windows were literally caving in from the blast itself.”
It happened at about 10 p.m. and multiple agencies worked to battle the inferno.
Local 4 has reached out to the company that owns the well -- Michigan-based Hound Resources -- but has not heard back.
The fire department said reports regarding the oil well’s track record on social media are untrue and that there have been no hostile fires at the location, but neighbors are feeling uneasy.
“It’s a little concerning for these types of things to be in communities like this,” said Jesse Siordia. “Especially where there’s a high school, a couple of middle schools.”
“We actually won’t accept them being here,” Matheny said. “It was that bad.”
The Oakland County Hazardous Materials Response Team is monitoring the air quality.
No injuries were reported.
