This morning an explosion at a Storage Unlimited self-storage facility in Hamilton, Mich., left one man injured and several buildings damaged. The blast occurred inside a unit where medical marijuana was being grown on the property at 3349 60th St. It was felt by residents and businesses up to 10 miles away, according to the source. Three structures were destroyed, one building partially collapsed and several others incurred damage.
The effects of the blast could be seen across the property and into the surrounding neighborhood. Unit doors were blown off of storage buildings across from the single-unit structure where the explosion originated, and some homes along the back of the property sustained broken windows, the source reported. “It was just one huge explosion. The house shook, pictures fell off the wall, all that,” said Doug DeJonge, who lives adjacent to the storage facility.
Michigan State Police suspect the explosion was caused by propane, which investigators said is sometimes used to heat storage units. The blast didn’t appear to be related to the medical-marijuana operation, state trooper Andrew Jamrog told the source. The growing facility appeared to be in compliance with the state’s Medical Marihuana Act, he said.
The injured man was inside a storage unit next to the explosion. The building he was in collapsed, but he freed himself from the debris before police arrived, according to the source. His injuries weren’t life-threatening, Jamrog said. The man’s dog, who was with him in the unit at the time of the blast, was killed.
The explosion remains under investigation. The state fire marshal will make a final determination to what caused the blast.
