Oil Tank Explodes at GM's Milford Proving Ground, Damaging Homes

The cause of the explosion is currently unclear, but thankfully no one was injured.

Photo by: Brighton Area Fire Authority

By: Anthony Alaniz

Nov 26, 2024 at 1:15pm ET

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The Brighton Area Fire Authority and trucks from two dozen other departments battled a blaze this morning at General Motors’s Milford Proving Ground. A tank that stored an oil and brine solution exploded just before 7 a.m., according to the Detroit Free Press, damaging two nearby homes.

The incident occurred at a tank not owned or operated by the automaker. GM leases space out to third parties for oil wells and storage tanks, and investigators will work with the owner to determine the cause, which remains unknown.

Brighton Area Fire Authority Chief Michael O’Brian told the Freep that no one inside the homes was injured, even though one had received “decent damage.” No one outside was hurt, either.

A satellite view of the General Motors Milford Proving Ground.

"Anytime we’re working with a combustible, flammable gas or liquid we use a lot of foam," O'Brian told the Freep. "We have the fire out at this time, but there are some small fires we’re dealing with due to the natural gas, but we have it all mostly wrapped up."

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It took the firefighters almost an hour to gain control of the fire, with departments throughout the area assisting with tankers due to the lack of nearby hydrants. Most of the blaze was out by then, although crews continued to battle smaller fires throughout the morning.

GM spokesperson Kevin Kelly told the Freep the automaker was thankful no one was injured and that it would “continue to monitor the situation.”