A massive fire that broke out at a warehouse in Clinton Township, Michigan, on Monday, March 4, has left one person dead and a firefighter injured. The blaze, which occurred at a facility owned by Select Distributors and Goo Smoke Shop, caused hundreds of explosions and transformed the area into what has been described as a “war zone.”
According to Clinton Township Fire Department Chief Tim Duncan, a 19-year-old man died after being struck in the head by a projectile from the fire while at a car wash about a quarter-mile away. Firefighter Matt Myers was also injured when debris smashed through his windshield and hit him in the face.
The warehouse contained nitrous oxide, butane, vape pens, lighter fluid, and canisters weighing 10-15 pounds and measuring 12-18 inches. As the fire raged, these containers exploded, sending shrapnel and debris up to two miles away. Knives and blades that were on the site were also catapulted into the air.
Township Supervisor Robert Cannon revealed that the butane and nitrous oxide canisters were not legally stored at the warehouse. He stated that the permit applicants had initially claimed they would use the site for a different purpose but “ended up doing something that is clearly not only illegal but immoral and dangerous.”
Responding officers initially thought they were being fired upon when they arrived at the scene due to the shrapnel from the explosions. Residents in the area, like 26-year-old Sarah Cooper, were awakened by the sound of the explosions and witnessed metal raining down everywhere. The day after the fire, Cooper revisited the site and saw various objects scattered about, with one business owner claiming to have pulled more than 30 knives out of his business’s wall.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, as authorities work to determine the full extent of the illegal activities that led to this tragic incident.
