Tank containing oil drilling byproducts explodes and catches fire near GM facility in Michigan

A fire chief says a tank containing byproducts from oil drilling operations exploded and caught fire near the General Motors Proving Ground in southeastern Michigan, damaging two nearby homes but causing no injuries

BRIGHTON Mich. — A tank containing byproducts from oil drilling operations exploded and caught fire Tuesday near the General Motors Proving Ground in southeastern Michigan, damaging two nearby homes but causing no injuries, a fire chief said.

Fire crews were dispatched to the site about 6:40 a.m. after the tank exploded, rocking the area and damaging two homes about 500 to 600 feet (150 to 180 meters) away, leaving them with shattered windows, said Brighton Area Fire Authority Chief Michael O’Brian.

He said no injuries were reported following the explosion at the site adjacent to the GM Proving Ground about 45 miles (70 kilometers) northwest of Detroit. No one was working at the site at the time of the explosion, O’Brian said.

Video footage shows flames soaring above the site, where oil drilling equipment was in operation. Local television stations reported that residents felt the explosion miles away.

GM said in a statement that “Thankfully, no one was injured, and no facilities were damaged.”

O’Brian said the site where the explosion and fire occurred is leased by a third party, and that the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

O’Brian said he understands the tanks contain natural gas byproducts of oil drilling and hold a mixture of water, a combustible liquid and brine. He said fire crews extinguished the burning tank using flame-suppressing foam, then sprayed nearby tanks with water to keep them cool.