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

BRIGHTON Mich. (AP) – A tank carrying oil drilling byproducts 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 sent to the site about 6:40 a.m. after the tank exploded, rocking the area and damaging two houses about 500 to 600 feet away, leaving them with shattered windows, said Fire Department Chief Michael Brighton. O’Brian.

He said no injuries were reported after the explosion at the site next 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 spreading above where oil drilling equipment was in operation. Local television stations reported that residents felt the explosion miles away.

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

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

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