Phoenix, AZ – One man was injured after a stove exploded at an apartment complex in Phoenix Tuesday morning.
The blast blew out some windows and displaced doors in one unit of the Estancia Del Sol apartment complex at 4001 Camelback Road near Grand Avenue at about 6:45 a.m. Tuesday, said Jay Arthur, Phoenix fire department spokesman. A gas leak in piping behind the stove caused the explosion, Arthur said.
All 50 units were evacuated as a precaution and one man suffered minor injuries. The 67-year-old man was taken to Maryvale Hospital with minor burns on his chest.
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The man was standing near the stove when it exploded and was lucky that he only had minor burns, Arthur said.
Southwest Gas completed checks on the three-story complex’s underground gas lines by 9:52 a.m. on Tuesday, said Linda Taylor, Southwest Gas spokeswoman.
All residents were allowed back into the apartments shortly after 9 a.m., Taylor said.
The cause of the gas leak in the piping behind the stove has not been determined. However, a possible explanation is that when a stove is moved, usually for cleaning, the piping can crimp and cause a gas leak, Taylor said.
Eastbound Camelback Road traffic was diverted, but the road was not closed, and westbound traffic could pass normally, Arthur said. Southwest Gas had large equipment at the complex and needed extra space for movement.