A 49-year-old man from Macomb Township is dead after an explosion ripped through an industrial building in Mount Clemens, according to the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and authorities say the cause of the blast has not been determined.
The explosion happened around 11:37 a.m. Thursday at an industrial building on Mary Street, between Cass Avenue and Hubbard Street, according to CBS Detroit. As reported by The Macomb Daily, the site of the blast was Basic Metals, a scrapyard located on that stretch of Mary Street.
Dozens of first responders, including personnel from the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office and the Mount Clemens Fire Department, descended on the scene, per the same account. Basic Metals describes itself as a full-service industrial recycling company that specializes in production scrap and commercial cleanouts, and the company lists its Mount Clemens yard at 31 Mary St., just off Cass Avenue, according to its own website.
No Danger to the Public, Sheriff's Office Says
Despite the scale of the emergency response, the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office said there was no danger to the public and asked residents to avoid the area while crews worked, per WXYZ. The sheriff’s office also expressed sympathies to the victim’s family and loved ones following the man’s death.
It remains unclear what led up to the accident, and authorities have not released the identity of the man beyond his age and hometown, the station notes. Fox 2 Detroit reports that the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate and has not confirmed what caused the explosion, with the scene remaining under investigation as of Thursday.
Investigation Ongoing as Questions Remain
The explosion adds Basic Metals to a list of industrial sites now under scrutiny following a workplace death, though no determination has been made public about what sparked the blast. The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration notes that its inspection data is subject to continual correction and updating until cases are formally closed, including any changes tied to citation items, according to the state agency.
For now, the official account remains limited: one man died, the explosion struck an industrial building between Cass Avenue and Hubbard Street, and investigators have not said what caused it. The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office has indicated the investigation is ongoing, and no further details have been released.
