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Fire mostly out at Washtenaw County welding supply company

Posted at 7:46 PM, Apr 11, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-11 19:46:36-04

PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Firefighters have extinguished most of a large fire at a Washtenaw County welding supply company that caused several explosions and some evacuations.

Structures within a mile-radius of Ann Arbor Welding Supply in Pittsfield Township were evacuated Thursday afternoon for about five hours. Pittsfield Township Public Safety Director Matthew Harshberger told The Ann Arbor News that one area remained closed Thursday evening while officials waited for a butane tank fire to burn out.

Harshberger says the fire began when a worker filling a propane tank turned away for a moment and the tank exploded. That led to other tanks exploding.

Thick black smoke rose above the area, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) southwest of Detroit. No injuries have been reported.

The company’s website says it supplies industrial, specialty and other gases.