CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A 19-year-old was killed Monday night while observing the scene of a massive fire and continuous explosions at a Macomb County distribution facility, authorities said Tuesday morning.
The teenager was believed to be struck by a canister of combustible material that shot out of the blaze amid continuous explosions at a business called Select Distributors, located at 15 Mile Road and Groesbeck Highway. The 19-year-old, identified only as a male, was taken to the hospital Monday night, and died around 4 a.m. Tuesday, police said at a press conference.
No other details about the teen were provided.
A firefighter was also injured while responding to the blaze Monday night. He sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital and quickly released, officials said.
At around 9 p.m. Monday, several explosions were reported and the building became engulfed in flames. The explosions continued as the fire raged on.
“Exploding projectile canisters” also caused damage to emergency vehicles, officials said -- but it was unclear exactly what objects were exploding at the distribution facility. Clinton Township police only said Select Distributors “operated as a novelty supply company known to stock combustible materials.”
Police said Tuesday they believe that the fire started first, and heated up the combustible materials inside the building, causing continuous explosions. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, known as the ATF, was helping with the investigation as of Tuesday morning.
Officials said the massive fire was contained as of around 11 p.m. Monday. Once the fire was out, the concern shifted to air quality in the area due to the many explosions at the facility.
“They understand some type of CO2 or propane explosions were taking place at the facility, and again, it was just continuous explosions, as well as the fire,” Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said Monday night.
It wasn’t immediately clear to authorities what exactly was inside the facility at the time of the explosions and fire. A hazmat team was expected to investigate the scene sometime on Tuesday.
The fire was extinguished as of Tuesday morning, but smoke still billowed from the facility at around 6:30 a.m. Authorities were still concerned about hot spots at the location that could potentially reignite.
Roadways in the area were closed off Monday night, and people were urged to stay away. The explosions created a debris field that stretched at least a mile from the facility.
Roads were reopened to traffic as of Tuesday morning. A heavy presence of first responders remained at the scene Tuesday.
---> From last night: Here’s everything we know so far about explosions, fire in Macomb County