Maynardville, TN – A man was flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center after a home explosion Wednesday afternoon, according to Union County dispatch.
Paulette Volunteer Fire Department responded to the home in the 3000 block of Hickory Valley Lane after receiving the call around 1:30 p.m.
The fire department’s chief said the victim was a 68-year-old man who had burns on more than 50 percent of his body. The man was “still smoldering” from the explosion, the chief said.
The explosion, investigators believe, was caused by an older model propane tank, and the chief said it blew all the windows of the home out. The propane tank’s fail-safe malfunctioned.
When fire crews arrived, the home was almost completely involved in flames, and the chief said it was completely destroyed. “There was no way to save the home,” he said.
The chief said, besides the burn, the victim inhaled gases from the explosion and has “an extremely long road for recovery.”
Based of the investigation, the chief said that the male victim was the home’s only occupant. He said the man’s family lives across the street.