Jackson, MS – WAPT-TV – The state fire marshal was in Yazoo County Thursday morning to help determine the cause of an explosion that leveled a home Tuesday.
Investigators suspect a propane tank may have caused the blast that injured five people.
Homeowners Willie Jordan and Cynthis Lee are being treated at the Greenville Burn Center. Kimberly Cooper and her 20-month-old son, Ramone, are in critical condition at a burn unit in Birmingham, Ala.
Some fire experts believe the explosion could have been prevented.
“As soon as the tank ruptures, it immediately expands into this tremendous cloud, like 1,700 times whatever is in the tank, and then it ignites,” said Charlie Faulk, a vendor at the Mid-Winter Mississippi Fire Chief’s Conference in Jackson.
Fire investigators believe that is what happened Tuesday afternoon after someone struck a match inside the home to light a propane-powered kitchen stove. A leak is suspected because the gas company had come to fill the home’s propane tank just before the explosion.
Dan Dickerson is the former owner of the company that services the area’s propane customers. He said many homeowners use propane, and a leak should have been easy to catch.
“It’s got a terrible odor,” Dickerson said. “If there’s a leak, people can smell it.”
Fire investigators are waiting for the rubble to cool down to complete the on-site investigation. Investigators said that could take several days.
4 People Remain Hospitalized After Yazoo County Explosion
WAPT-TV – Four people, including an 18-month-old boy, are still recovering from last week’s house explosion in Yazoo County.
Baby Ramone Cooper is in critical condition. His mother, Kimberly Cooper, is listed in good condition. Both are in Birmingham, Ala., hospitals.
Willie Davis Jordan is in critical condition and Jacynthia Lee is in fair condition at the Greenville Burn Center.
Investigators said propane gas leaked and ignited inside the kitchen, causing the blast, which completely leveled the home.
The home’s L.P. gas distribution system is being analyzed at a lab.