Rogue River, Oregan – A propane explosion Saturday inside a travel trailer sent a man to the hospital with severe burns.
At around 1:38 a.m. crews from Jackson County Fire District 1 out of Rogue River responded to a call of a travel-trailer explosion at Valley of the Rogue state park, officials said in a news release.
The owner of the travel trailer, whose name was not released, was inside the trailer when it burst into flame. Neighboring campers put out the blaze with fire extinguishers before fire crews arrived on the scene, officials said.
The owner was taken by ambulance to Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford, where he was hospitalized with first- and second-degree burns covering 50 percent of his body, officials said.
An investigation revealed the cause was a propane leak inside the trailer that was sparked by a hot-water pilot light. Witnesses told fire fighters that the trailer’s propane regulator had just been replaced that day, and approximately 40 minutes after the propane was turned on and the pilot was lit, the explosion occurred, officials said.
The explosion blew out the trailers windows and walls.
“Fortunately, the owner’s granddaughter and great granddaughter had just stepped out of the trailer right before it went off,” District 1 incident commander Mike Gavlik said.
Fire crews would like to remind people to use caution when working with propane, and to hire a professional for any major repairs.