On Monday, March 4, 2024, an explosion at an industrial building in Clinton Township, Michigan claimed the life of a 19-year-old man and injured a firefighter and another civilian. The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. at the crossroads of 15 Mile Road and the Groesbeck Highway.
The Clinton Township Police Department (CTPD) responded to the scene at Select Distributors, a business known for distributing vaping materials, including butane and nitrous oxide canisters. Officers and firefighters arrived at a scene of chaos, with materials exploding, posing an immediate danger to those nearby.
Police said the 19-year-old victim died Tuesday morning at a hospital after being struck in the head by a projectile, possibly a tank, that shot out of the fire. He was observing the explosion scene at The 15 Mile Car Wash, about a quarter of a mile away, when he was hit with what initially was thought to be gunfire.
“That was due to the scene’s chaos,” said Police Chief Dina Caringi. We had projectiles falling from different directions and loud explosions, so it was determined to be a gunshot before we found it wasn’t gunfire.”
A firefighter also sustained minor injuries when a projectile shattered the windshield of a responding fire truck. The firefighter is expected to recover fully after receiving medical attention at a local hospital. The explosion damaged several police and fire vehicles.
Additionally, another bystander was injured by a piece of a propane tank propelled by the explosion.
“The explosion blew the building apart,” township Fire Chief Tim Duncan said early Tuesday. “The area around it was like a war zone, and there was so much debris from the explosion.”
Speaking at a news conference, Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said, “I couldn’t think of anything sadder as an outcome for this particular situation,” our thoughts and prayers are with the affected families.”
Investigations have revealed that the building contained over 100,000 vape pens and a substantial quantity of butane canisters, which exacerbated the severity of the explosion. The building also housed Goo, a company known for producing vape products. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, with specifics of the materials involved yet to be disclosed.
Online publication of import documents reveals that last November, Noor Kestou, the head of Select Distributor, was engaged in importing nitrous oxide cylinders from China.
“They just recently got delivery of a whole semi-trailer of butane containers,” said fire chief Duncan. “More than half of that shipment was still in their possession. Besides that, they also stored stacks of nitrous oxide and lighter fluid.”
Select Distributors’ unauthorized storage of the inflammable material that ignited on Monday night will be addressed, according to Township Supervisor Bob Cannon. The company will face the consequences.
“The fallout is inevitable,” he asserted. “Certain individuals have crossed the line immensely. This behavior is not only distasteful, but it is also unacceptable, and we won’t tolerate it.”
Kevin Felster, traveling from Emmett to Sterling Heights, witnessed the aftermath near Clinton Township. He noticed numerous charred metal fragments strewn across the roads, varying from small to large pieces, emphasizing the lethal potential of such debris when propelled at high speed.
Joleen Vultaggio, from her home eight miles away, recounted the unsettling experience of hearing the relentless and intense series of explosions, highlighting the widespread impact of the incident.
In response to the explosion, nearby residents and businesses were evacuated as a precaution. Luckily, four people managed to escape the building before the explosion.