CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — The investigation into the Clinton Township industrial fire and explosion that happened last week has now been delayed to next month.
The field investigation was expected to begin this week, but officials say there’s just too many agencies that need to be on the ground to begin now.
It has now been over a week since the building that houses Select Distributors and Goo Smoke Shop exploded and caught fire, rocking the entire Clinton Township community, injuring a firefighter and killing a 19-year-old.
The community surrounding the explosion still has a lot of questions.
“I think we just want to know that an instant like this wouldn’t happen again and we feel safe with our families in our home and not wonder what if," resident Megan Buchman said.
The investigation into the explosion and fire should help provide some answers, but the investigation has been delayed due to the scope of the blasts. The field portion of the investigation is delayed until the first week of April.
A number of parties including Clinton Township police and fire, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Michigan State Police and other public and private investigators all have to be on site together to properly investigate and maintain the integrity of the investigation.
“You just kind of wait around for answers and hopefully, we get them," resident Michael Willette said.
The surrounding community hopes the investigation isn't delayed further to provide peace of mind and security.
“I hope they find out what happened and they can make sure it doesn’t happen again," Willette said.
The township said other portions of the investigation besides the fieldwork are continuously ongoing.
Select Distributors released its first statement on Wednesday since the explosion happened:
"Select Distributors is deeply saddened and expresses its sincerest condolences to the victim's family. It is actively cooperating with investigators as they work to determine the cause of the accident. Select Distributors has been a proud employer and member of this community for over a decade and is focused on ensuring safety and support of its team members and community."
What is Select Distributors? See what we know about the company in the video below:
