Colorado City, TX – An explosion apparently sparked by a propane leak at a soon-to-open Colorado City diner has sent one man to the burn unit of a Lubbock hospital, authorities said.
The explosion occurred at about 8:30 a.m. Friday at the Skeezix Family Diner, 913 E. Interstate 20, said Colorado City Police Chief Roy Owens. The location formerly housed Truck Town.
The diner was in the process of being remodeled and was scheduled to open Monday, Owens said.
“It was a new business fixing to open up,” he said. “Evidently, they had someone there working on a dishwasher in the back when there was a propane leak and something caused it to spark.”
The injured man, who was not immediately identified, suffered second-degree burns and was taken to University Medical Center in Lubbock.
Owens said the explosion caused heavy damage to the building, which likely will be bulldozed by next week.
Owens said the business had passed its city inspection.
“Everyone was waiting on it to open,” he said. “If it would have happened on Monday, there would have been mass injuries if not worse.”