Commercial fire in Clinton Township shot from 15 and Beaconsfield
A passerby video of a huge industrial fire in the 15 Mile and Groesbeck area in Clinton Twp., Monday night, March 4, 2024, shot from Beaconsfield.
Anthony Argeropoulos
Clinton Township — A massive fire erupted in an industrial building in Clinton Township on Monday night, sending huge flames into the air and debris as far away as a mile, authorities said.
More than a dozen emergency crews worked to extinguish the blaze and DTE Energy crews were on the scene at Select Distributors in the 19100 block of 15 Mile Road. Explosions pierced the night, with one witness saying it “felt like the ground was shaking” with each blast.
Residents were urged to avoid the area of 15 Mile Road and Groesbeck Highway, police said in a social media post.
The building is on 15 Mile Road. Police said they did not immediately know what was ablaze or what caused the fire.
“We can not stress enough the danger that is happening right now,” police said on the department’s Facebook page. “Please, please, please stay inside and out of the vicinity. Debris is being projected into the air and coming down as far as a mile away from the explosion.
“We do not know what is burning, we do not know the effects of the smoke/air right now, so please stay out of the area and stay safe.”
Kevin Felster of Emmett near Port Huron said he was on his way to Clinton Township to visit Joleen Vultaggio in Sterling Heights when he saw the fire and heard the explosions. After he got out of his car to watch, he saw hundreds of pieces of metal littering nearby roads, pieces from the size of a spray can to the size of a car wheel.
“It was heavy stuff and it was all charred black,” Felster said of a piece of debris he picked up. “I guarantee you … if that came flying through the air at any velocity at all, it would just shatter your head like nothing.”
Vultaggio said she heard the explosions from 8 miles away at her home.
“It just freaked me out because it wasn’t like one boom, it was continuous and it was very intense,” said Vultaggio.
Commercial fire in Clinton Township
A passerby video of a huge commercial fire at Groesbeck and 15 Mile Rd. in Clinton Twp., Monday night, March 4, 2024.
Korey Gaddis
Korey Gaddis of Detroit was driving north on Groesbeck with a friend about 9:30 p.m. when they heard explosions coming from across the road.
“The next thing we heard was ‘Boom!’ We thought it was car doors slamming until we saw debris flying and I looked back and saw a fire,” Gaddis said. “It felt like the ground was shaking and I could feel the heat.”
He then started filming on Facebook Live.
Others in neighboring cities miles away said they heard “continuous explosions” around 9 p.m. Monday.
Around midnight, air quality in Clinton Township was moderate, with 2.5 particulate matter, according to airnow.gov.
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
