Braintree, MA – A contractor was seriously injured in a house explosion in New Braintree Wednesday afternoon, State Fire Marshall Stephen D. Coan’s office said.
The explosion occurred at approximately 1 p.m. when the contractor was working on installing a new propane-fueled furnace at a residence on Wine Road in the central Massachusetts community, Coan’s office said in a statement.
The contractor was med-flighted to a Boston hospital for treatment. No one else was in the home at the time of the explosion and there were no other injuries, according to the fire marshall’s office.
Investigators believe the explosion was caused when leaking propane was ignited by the hot water heater pilot, officials said.
The incident remains under investigation by public safety agencies.