local media asks public to solve mysterious explosion

        FLINT, MI – Mysterious explosion-type sounds on the east side of the city have caused quite the stir among Flint residents and MLive-Flint Journal readers.

While some readers have speculated that exploding meth labs were the cause of the booms, others have pointed the finger at North Dort Highway salvage and scrap yards.

MLive user Jeffrey S Fillmore said:

    "Based on (social media) comments... most people think it is coming from or near the area of the junk/scrap yards. One of the theories is gas tanks exploding on crushed vehicles."

Ufollow2 said:

    "I’m in the area of Western and Pierson and it is really loud. It sounds like the ground blew up. It shook the whole house. It’s loud enough that at times where it could break a window or move the foundation."

Angelsabound said:

    "Over here by Kearsley Dam, I always hear some kind of loud BOOM in the morning before noon. This only happens Monday - Friday. It is so loud it does shake the house and rattle the windows. It sounds like it is coming from behind Richfield Trailer Supply and the scrap yards on Dort, by Richfield."

Rick Toney, an employee at J&S Auto Salvage located at 4068 N. Dort Highway, said Tuesday that his business isn’t to blame for the loud booms, but he’s also heard them in the past.

“I heard something probably toward the end of last week,” Toney said. “You ever see somebody with a big dump truck and they’re dumping something and the tailgate slams on the ground? It sounded like that – just a loud boom noise that I couldn’t identify it.”

An employee at Flint Auto Salvage, 5809 N. Dort Highway, said the business hasn't caused any loud noises and that they remove gas tanks from vehicles before crushing them, preventing the explosion of the gas tanks.

He said it’s been a while since Flint Auto Salvage has actually crushed vehicles, but when they do the noise level is relatively low.

“It’s been a few weeks since we’ve crushed, but it’s not that loud of a noise,” said Rick, who declined to give his last name. “I’d say the noise level is about a two (on a scale of 1-10), and you can’t even hear it unless you’re standing close to where it’s being done.”

Jim Kuzma, the general manager at Spooner Metals, 5032 N. Dort Highway, said that he didn’t recall hearing anything.

A worker at Complete Scrap, at 3502 N. Dort Highway, said that she hadn’t heard any explosions and they don’t do anything at their location that would create explosions or loud booms.

For now, it appears the mystery remains unsolved.