SIDNEY, Ohio - A propane tank is the suspected cause of an explosion at a home in Sidney Wednesday morning, which left a man seriously burned. It happened about 10 o'clock at 627 E. Court Street, just east of downtown.
The explosion caused significant structural damage to an attached garage, including parts of the sides and roof, which partially collapsed, several broken windows, and a small fire, which was quickly extinguished.
According to Sidney Fire Lieutenant Ryan Heitman, a man who lived in the home, who appeared to be in his 40s to 50s, was inside the garage when the explosion happened, but was outside the structure when crews arrived. Heitman said the man suffered severe burns to his face and arms.
The victim was treated at the scene by medics before being transported to Wilson Health and then flown by CareFlight to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton. Heitman added that the victim's girlfriend was inside the house at the time of the explosion, but she was uninjured and unsure what had happened.
Next-door neighbor Patti Longbrake heard the explosion and went to see what happened. "I heard a thud, and I thought maybe a tree had fallen, and so I started looking out windows and noticed his carport had collapsed and saw smoke," said Longbrake. "Not too long after, he came out of the house, and he looked like he was completely out of it, and he looked like he was in a lot of pain."
An investigator from the State of Ohio Fire Marshal's Office arrived at the scene about 90 minutes after the explosion occurred. He will be working alongside Sidney Fire Department personnel to determine the cause. Court Street, which is also part of State Route 29 through Sidney, was closed for over an hour while crews were on the scene. Sidney Police assisted at the scene and with traffic control.
