CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Local 4 received hundreds of phone calls about an explosion Monday night just before a distribution plant in Macomb County was engulfed in flames.
🆕 UPDATED STORY: Everything chief said morning after explosions, fire in Macomb County
Here’s everything we know so far.
Reports of explosions
Phone calls started flooding into the Local 4 newsroom on Monday night as residents reported hearing a loud explosion.
Officials said what they heard was coming from the Select Distributors plant, which is in the 19100 block of 15 Mile Road, near Groesbeck Highway, in Clinton Township.
Police said the impact of the explosions and ensuing fire was felt at least as far as Mt. Clemens.
Police ask residents to stay away
As the fire continued to burn late into the night, police implored everyone to stay away from the area.
Clinton Township police posted a reminder at 10:14 p.m. Monday that the situation is still very dangerous.
“We can not stress enough the danger that is happening right now,” the post said. “Please, please, please stay inside and out of the vicinity. Debris is being projected into the air and coming down as far as a mile away from the explosion. As we do not know what is burning, we do not know the effects of the smoke/air right now, so please stay out of the area and stay safe.”
Officials said first responders need to be able to reach the scene, and authorities are still trying to figure out exactly what’s going on.
County executive: fire contained
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel joined Local 4 at 11:06 p.m. Monday to provide an update on the situation.
He confirmed the explosions began around 9 p.m. at the Select Distributors plant, and Clinton Township officers and firefighters immediately went to the scene.
“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,” Hackel said.
He said it’s going to take the fire department some time to figure out exactly what’s inside the facility, because they have to put the fire out first.
Air quality
Hackel said there are eight different fire departments at the plant, and it took awhile to figure out what was going on. He said the fire is contained.
“Their concern right now is -- obviously they’re taming the fire, but now, what’s going on with that air quality?” Hackel said. “We have a HAZMAT unit that’s out trying to test the air quality so we can get further updates.”
1 death, 1 injury
Hackel said as of 11:07 p.m. Monday that there have been no reports of injuries.
As of about 2 a.m. Tuesday, officials said two people had been injured: a responding firefighter and a bystander. They were both taken to the hospital.
Police said later Tuesday morning that a 19-year-old bystander had died in the early morning hours.
---> More: Teen bystander killed amid explosions, massive fire at Macomb County business
Officials are still asking residents to stay out of the area.
Emergency management assessing situation
Hackel said emergency management is assessing the situation and is ready to react accordingly.
“Most people realize when there’s an immediate situation like that taking place, you have your police, fire, and your EMS. Most people see that response happening. What they don’t see is what goes on with emergency management. They have a good team over there in Clinton Township, as well as the county’s emergency management that really has come together to try to figure out what they need to do, and if it comes to getting utilities shut off, they’re working on that while the fire department’s responding, while police are there.
“So all that is taking place, as well as what you just mentioned, reaching out to the schools to say there’s something that’s going on in the area, and other businesses, as well as residents.
“So emergency management is that organization that starts right away once there is some kind of major event taking place, that does all of those things we’re talking about. So there is conversation taking place with schools as they’re trying to test the air quality, as well.”
What type of plant is it?
It appears the building in question is a large industrial plant that makes knickknacks, such as cellphone equipment.
They supply products to dollar stores, discount stores, and other wholesalers.
Damage nearby
The Select Distributors plant is in a busy industrial area, and it’s not the only plant in the area.
Hackel said it’s likely there will be some damage to nearby buildings, but the extent of that damage is not yet clear.
Firefighters have contained the fire as of 11 p.m., he said.
Calls to Local 4 newsroom
Calls began coming into the newsroom around 9 p.m. Some viewers told Local that it sounded like “fireworks.”
Audio from the scene reveals popping and explosions. Many callers asked if the sound was gunfire.
Messages from people as far as Troy and St. Clair Shores said they could hear the explosions.
Some callers told Local 4 that their windows and glassware shook at their homes, so they don’t feel safe staying inside.
Metal canister causes damage
Local 4′s Pamela Osborne went to a home in the area of 15 Mile and Kelly roads, which is about a quarter of a mile from the plant.
A heavy metal canister flew through someone’s wooden fence, tearing it to pieces.
Neighbors describe scene
Several people from near the scene talked to Local 4 about what they witnessed.
“I looked to my backside over here towards the Groesbeck area, and that’s when I started to realize the flames were happening,” said neighbor Korey Dixon. “I’m an area worker, and knowing this particular town, I knew that we are in something serious because of the fact that that area should never have that kind of noise.”
Some homeowners said they saw neighbors packing their families into cars and driving in the other direction.
“It started over at Goo Smoke Shop, and then it went outrageous as smoke was everywhere,” Robert David said. “The fire and wind has been spreading, and it’s catching on IDC (Industries), and Grant Industries is starting to catch on fire now. It’s getting out of control.”
“It started getting louder and louder, and I started seeing some red flames shooting up, and I thought, ‘That’s not just fireworks, that’s a fire,’” another resident said. “It started subsiding for about 40 minutes or so, and then I went back into the house, and it started up again. I thought it was Armageddon. The explosion was going so high in the air that I was afraid it was going to start coming down on the neighborhoods.”
School closings?
Local 4 is closely following how the fire could possibly affect schools in the area for Tuesday.
As of 11:05 p.m. Monday, we have not heard about any school closings. Click here to view an updated list of school closings.
Videos
You can see videos of the fire below.
