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Illegally stored gases explode in Clinton Township, killing 1
Authorities say a business that blew up multiple times Monday night in Clinton Township was illegally storing canisters of nitrous oxide and butane. The explosions sent metal canisters flying, and one of those killed a man who was walking about 1/4 mile away.
CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (fox 2) - When a fire spread through a business in Clinton Township, it ultimately led to massive explosions that rocked the area – sending metal debris flying up to a mile away, killing one person.
Fire investigators and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are still looking into what caused the fire, which led to explosions, late Monday night. Multiple explosions were heard and felt miles away.
READ MORE: Blasts send chunks of metal in all directions
The building was a storefront for the business Goo and Select Distributors, which is a wholesale supplier of vapes, CBD products, hookahs, lighters, and more.
The business was legally allowed to operate a store at the location at 15 Mile and Groesbeck – but the things inside that exploded went beyond what was allowed inside.
What was inside the Clinton Township building?
Contrary to initial reports, this is not an industrial fire. Instead, this was a fire that could have been prevented.
Clinton Township Fire Chief Tim Duncan said the company had many items stored illegally.
Nitrous tanks, butane, lighter fluid, and more than 100,000 vape pens with lithium batteries were all inside the building and exploded.
Goo and Select Distributors distribute gases and lighters to businesses that sell marijuana and are licensed to operate. However, the nitrous oxide and butane were not supposed to have been stored inside the building.
Barry Miller, with the city's building department, said that the business was issued a certificate of occupancy to operate a store. However, the business was not supposed to have canisters of nitrous oxide or butane.
"It wasn’t meant for this," Miller said.
MORE: Clinton Township explosions kill man who was 1/4 mile away
All of those items, along with knives that the store sold, and other shrapnel all went flying through the air on Monday.
"People have done things wrong, very wrong, and we don’t like it and we aren’t going to accept it," Miller said.
The building was permitted to operate as a storefront with a backroom for storage. Those canisters, had they been there during an inspection, wouldn't have been allowed.
Two business owners were interviewed Monday night – but no other details about the interview were released.
When was the building last inspected?
In 2022, the building was inspected and an occupancy certificate was issued.
Clinton Township Planning Director Bruce Thompson said he was approached in the spring about what the building was zoned for.
"I made it very clear to the gentleman that retail use is permitted use. That's what was signed off on by the planning department," Thompson said.
Duncan said the material that exploded was not inside the facility during that inspection in 2022 after it was approved by planning and the building departments.
"Our last inspection did not show this amount of material in this building," Duncan said. "Without those tanks, we don’t have this issue."
The flying shrapnel was so intense that firefighters weren’t initially able to approach the scene and had to back away to stay safe.
Duncan said a firefighter was injured when one of the flying canisters struck the windshield of a fire vehicle.