CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Fires reignited Wednesday morning at the Macomb County business that caught fire Monday, triggering rounds of explosions that destroyed the building and killed a bystander.
More flames could be seen coming up from the rubble early Wednesday, March 6 at Goo and Select Distributors in Clinton Township, the site where a major fire occurred earlier this week. The new flames weren’t cause for panic Wednesday morning, but still served as another hindrance for investigators who need to access the space and determine what caused the fire.
The initial, massive fire on Monday caused stored containers of combustible gas to continuously explode, creating a debris field stretching at least a half-mile in every direction, officials reported. The explosions sent entire canisters, shrapnel, and other debris -- including building materials, like glass, and products sold by the business, like knives -- flying from the building.
A 19-year-old bystander was fatally struck in the head by a projectile on Monday night. A firefighter was also injured, though only minorly.
Those explosions prevented first responders -- including firefighters -- from getting near the building at first. Crews were told to keep their distance due to the dangerous circumstances, authorities said.
The fire had been extinguished by Tuesday morning, but the debris pile was still too hot then for investigators to access it. There were also a few lingering explosions reported early on Tuesday, though crews could be seen walking through the site later in the day.
Federal, state, county and local leaders were expected to kick off their investigation on Wednesday. But, at around 7:30 a.m., fires that had reignited in a few areas among the rubble were starting to spread. Crews were expected to extinguish the returning flames, but it was unclear if the reignition would delay the investigation.
You can see the reignited flames in the video report up above.
So far, authorities have said they believe the fire began before the explosions did on Monday. Their working theory is that the fire somehow started and heated up containers of butane, nitrous oxide and lighter fluid, causing them to explode as the fire burned.
No arrests had been made yet in connection with the incident, but multiple people were being questioned, including the business owners. The business -- a smoke shop storefront and its storage space -- is accused of improperly storing combustible gases in a back room. Business owners were not permitted to store such materials, and were only approved to operate a retail space, officials said.
Clinton Township Supervisor Bob Cannon said people will be held accountable.
---> More: Illegally storing gases? Macomb County business where fire triggered explosions slammed by officials