General Motors explosion: What we know about the Milford Proving Grounds fire

MILFORD, Mich. (FOX 2) - As General Motors and local emergency crews continue to work to put out a fire, a few details are starting to come out about the explosion at the Proving Grounds in Milford.

The explosion happened a little after 7 a.m. on Tuesday at the General Motors Proving Grounds on General Motors Road, just south of M-59. Crews responded immediately to put out the fire and drivers are urged to completely avoid the area.

The GM Proving Grounds are used by the automaker to test cars and trucks. It's not yet known what exploded or what caused it.

"We are aware of an incident at the Milford Proving Ground involving one of the oil wells located on GM property. Thankfully, no one was injured, and no facilities were damaged. GM fire crews are on the scene and have the incident under control," the statement read. "Local fire departments are standing by if needed. We will continue to monitor the situation."

Michigan State Police said windows of homes nearby were blown out in the blast. Doors were blown in and items were knocked off of shelves and walls. However, despite the violence of the explosion, nobody was hurt.

Michigan State Police said the explosion at the General Motors Proving Grounds in Milford blew out windows and doors of nearby homes.

MSP says there are no hazardous material issues to be concerned about with the explosion.

Footage from SkyFOX showed firefighters spraying foam onto two major metal tanks on the west side of the facility. 

Several fire rigs were spotted in the area and on the side street of the proving grounds.

What are the General Motors Proving Grounds?

The Milford Proving Ground (MPG) is GM's lead facility for global proving grounds and was the first dedicated testing facility in the world. 

It includes over 150 miles of two-lane highway to provide a variety of testing scenarios. The property is used to test vehicles in rugged terrain, highways, and extreme temperatures. 

UNITED STATES - AUGUST 09: Signage denoting the General Motors Proving Grounds at Milford, Michigan. (Photo by Bob D'Olivo/The Enthusiast Network via Getty Images/Getty Images)

Expand

The land was purchased in 1923 for just over $100,000 and was bought because of its rugged terrain – something that stands out in southeast Michigan. Originally 1,125 acres with just 5.5 miles of roads, it's now over 4,000 acres and there are more than 150 buildings.

GM says guardrails were first developed at Milford, as was the first rollover test in 1934, the ‘infant love seat’ – the model for future child car seats, and is where all Chevrolet Corvette models are tested.