Michigan Auto Parts Plant Fire: $8 Million In Losses

An explosion during an auto parts plant fire that ultimately stopped production of the Ford F-150 was so violent that it threw a worker through the air into a door jamb. Vehicles in the parking lot caught fire and were damaged by flying debris. A fire "detector did not alert occupants." The explosion and a subsequent blast early the morning of May 2 at the Meridian Magnesium factory in Eaton Rapids occurred because the fire suppression system at the plant added water to molten magnesium. Experts said that is like arming a bomb.