One man was taken to hospital with serious injuries Tuesday night after an explosion ripped through all three floors of his Port Coquitlam home.
PoCo fire chief Nick Delmonico said the 19-year-old was cooking with butane in one of the third-floor bedrooms when the blast occurred. Investigators believe the butane was able to migrate throughout the house, eventually making its way to the basement, where it was ignited by a spark from the hot water heater.
"He was burned quite badly," Delmonico said. "They probably don't know the butane properties are that its heavier than air... Who would think it's going to migrate?"
The victim suffered from second and third-degree burns and some trauma. He was taken to hospital Tuesday night and Delmonico did not have an update on his condition Wednesday morning.
Damage from the blast was found throughout the house. A wall on the second floor was completely destroyed and skylights on the third floor were blown out, Delmonico said.
"It exploded from downstairs upwards," he said. "I don't think people are aware the damage a small amount of butane can do."
Only the victim was home at the time of the explosion and Delmonico believes that his parents may have been out of the country. Police and fire investigators were on scene Wednesday morning.
More to come...
