Clinton Township explosion: 4 employees ran for safety as fire led to explosions
CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - The massive explosion that shook the ground in Clinton Township killed one person and could have killed even more. FOX 2 has learned that at least four employees were inside the facility before the explosion and got out just moments before the blasts.
Shrapnel from Monday night's Clinton Township building fire and series of explosions left a vast debris field covering two miles, officials said. Shortly after an update from local authorities, federal sources told FOX 2's Jessica Dupnack that the fire came first – which then led to the explosions.
The sources say there were four employees inside the building and heard crackling. They immediately ran out of the building and called 911.
MORE: Clinton Township explosions kill man who was 1/4 mile away
The explosions came from Goo and Select Distributors at 15 Mile and Groesbeck, and fatally injured a 19-year-old who was about a quarter of a mile away from the blast scene. His identity has not been released yet.
The building is characterized as a converted strip mall that the owner purchased and converted into a kind of warehouse and we're still working to determine exactly how big. Earlier in the day, it was revealed by police that the facility was never intended to store large quantities of nitrous oxide and butane – but that's what was inside. Authorities believe there could have been other accelerants as well and are still investigating.
MORE: Blasts send chunks of metal in all directions
The Clinton Township Police and Fire Departments are both investigating, as are the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and other state agencies.
Other structures nearby sustained some damage but all fires were contained to the facility that caught fire and then exploded.
Series of explosions 'was like a war zone' as Clinton Township incident left debris 2 miles away
Clinton Township Fire Chief Tim Duncan said that it was "unbelievable" that there were no other injuries or fatalities, adding that everyone has been accounted for from nearby businesses and residences.
"It was basically a war zone, you had shrapnel going off everywhere you looked," Duncan said. "If you're standing outside you are wondering when is the next piece coming my way. When is it going to hit us. It's hitting our vehicles, as we're in vehicles it's careening off of them. We had a number of our fire engines and police vehicles that were hit.
"We had helmets on, we had gear on, if that thing is coming, you are going to suffer some severe consequences. I don't think we think about it upfront, we are trained to do some dangerous things - but it is when you take a step back later, that it overcomes you."
Officials said there is a tool on the website to report damage for data collection, but not for damage reporting for insurance purposes.