Welder Injured as His Torch Touches Off Fuel Tank Blast

A welder suffered first- and second-degree burns on his back and a broken leg Monday when his torch apparently ignited gasoline fumes in an empty 7,500-gallon fuel tank at a demolition site in Santa Ana, sparking an explosion, authorities said.

Bill Sumner, 30, of Cerritos, was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he was listed in stable condition. The victim’s brother, Boyd Sumner, 24, of Downey, who was working nearby, said the explosion threw his brother about 20 feet through the air.

The accident occurred at a construction site on Sunflower Street between Harbor Boulevard and Fairview Street.

As a precaution before he began welding, Bill Sumner had drained the fuel tank, flushed it out with water and used dry ice to absorb gasoline fumes, his brother said. Fire officials said there apparently were still gasoline fumes in the tank, leading to the explosion.