Detroit Nonprofit’s Flower Farm Devastated by Fire, Community Rallies to Aid Recovery Efforts
A propane tank used improperly in an indoor setting may have caused a fire that destroyed the garden operations of a nonprofit Detroit flower farm.
“We lost over a thousand seedlings,” said Tom Milano, co-founder of Detroit Abloom, in an interview with 7 News Detroit WXYZ-TV. “Our potted plants got pulverized. All the shelving just desegregated.”
Detroit Abloom, established by Milano and his wife, Nancy, maintains a wellness garden for people on plant-based diets. It also supports a cutting flower operation and grows native plants to rehabilitate blighted land in Detroit.
Milano acknowledged that the fire began after he ignited a burner attached to a propane tank inside the organization’s hoop-style greenhouse on Detroit’s east side. Milano said that the burner fell off the propane tank because the piece that connected it to the nose of the tank snapped.
A Detroit fire marshal confirmed that propane tanks should never be used indoors in this manner. According to the Milanos, they had been using propane tanks for years to heat their hoop house and provide warmth for seedlings and weren’t aware of the dangers.
In addition to losing all the plants and seedlings being grown for this season, the fire destroyed the hoop house’s plastic roofing material.
Tom and Nancy said they want to rebuild, but they will need to raise funds — approximately $15,000 — to restore the operation to its state before the fire. Neighbors have been offering cleanup assistance to the couple.
“Detroit Abloom is all about learning how we can bloom from within,” Tom said. “And as we bloom from within, the world blooms from without.”
To assist Detroit Abloom in the organization’s rebuilding efforts, visit the organization’s GoFundMe fundraising page.
