SPOKANE, Wash. – One person was transported to a local trauma center after a building exploded in East Central Friday afternoon.
Around 1:42 p.m. on Dec. 15, the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) responded to reports of a building that exploded in the 100 Block of North Stone Street. When first responders arrived, they saw a metal building with visible damage and signs of an internal explosion.
SFD entered the building and found a man inside. He was treated for his burns and transported to a local trauma center for treatment.
The cause of the fire was determined to be inappropriate transfilling of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) between containers. LPG is a mixture of propane and butane and is stored as liquid, under pressure, in gas bottles or tanks. When LPG is released into the atmosphere, it becomes gas and can be explosive.
SFD confirmed someone fell asleep when passing containers in a bedroom. This resulted in an overpressurization and leak. The vapor found a heat source and caused the explosion.
SFD warns the community of using LPG at home. LPD is dangerous for many reasons, including its explosion risk, injury hazard and is often illegal and fails to pass safety regulations.
