Portage, UT – PORTAGE, Box Elder County A propane-fueled explosion destroyed a home Monday afternoon.
The explosion was felt for several blocks just before 2 p.m. and kept fire crews on scene into night, said Corey Barton, Box Elder County fire marshal.
The homeowner had smelled propane Monday morning and contacted the propane company, Barton said. Because the leak was inside the home, the company advised the homeowner to turn off the propane and call an appliance repairman.
Barton wasn’t sure whether the homeowner had attempted to turn off the propane before the explosion. The source of the ignition wasn’t identified, but the homeowner told firefighters he believed the leak was around the stove.
The homeowner was inside the home at the time of the blast but wasn’t burned or severely injured in the blast, Barton said.
“He was able to come outside of the home and turn off the propane valve on the truck and then come across the road,” Barton said.
The man was taken to a local hospital and treated for exhaustion, Barton said.
A team of 18 firefighters from Portage, Fielding and Garland responded to the explosion. They spent three hours suppressing the flames and monitoring as the roof was allowed to burn off. Crews from the Portage fire department remained on scene into the night extinguishing hot spots.
The blast did an estimated $150,000 in damage, and the house was declared a total loss.