Full Notification

Sheriff Richard J. Behnke reports that deputies of the Cass County Sheriff's Office assisted the Penn Township Fire Department in responding to an explosion at a petroleum pumping station on 2-5-24 at 3:50pm.  Initial calls came from area residents who heard a loud explosion and force from the explosion that shook their homes. The pumping station located on the 19000 block of Bulhand Rd. in Cass County’s Penn Township is owned by Trak Oil company of Port Huron, MI. Investigation showed that two men were working on a tank when it exploded and caused a fire. One of the men, Charles Lawrence (71 yrs of Lakefort, MI) was killed in the incident. The other man, Kevin Lawrence (38 yrs of Osceola, IN) sustained minor injuries.  The incident will be investigated by the Michigan State Police Fire Marshal and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Also assisting on scene were Cass Area Fire Department, Elkhart Fire Department, SEPSA Ambulance and SMACS Ambulance. The incident remains under investigation.