WilkesBarre, PA – Robert Kalinowski, The Citizens Voice
A propane tank blast sparked a kitchen fire Monday morning in Hanover Township’s Sans Souci Trailer Court , sending an 80-year-old woman scrambling for safety.
Betty Coyle was inside the residence, at lot 29, when she heard a loud explosion and then noticed smoke, fire crews said.
“She hustled out, but the place was filling with smoke quickly,” said Hanover Township Fire Chief Stanley Browski. “She was shook up.”
Firefighters arrived within minutes and contained the blaze to a propane-powered stove and its surrounding area, he said.
“She was concerned the whole trailer was going to go,” Browski said.
Without a quick response from fire crews, the $1,000 in damage could have been much more-including a complete loss of the trailer, the chief said.Coyle was not injured in the fire, which erupted around 9:30 a.m.
After firefighters vented the trailer, Coyle was allowed to return. She’ll need a new stove and propane tank, along with renovations to the wall, Browski said.
The fire is linked to a leaking propane tank, but it’s still unclear what caused the blast heard by Coyle and neighbors, Browski said.