Gas Leak Causes Blast, Fire at Hotel; 18 Guests Are Hurt
Leaking propane gas caused an explosion and fire that shattered windows and cracked walls at a resort hotel, injuring 18 guests in town for a convention, a state fire official said Friday.
“It’s just a miracle that nobody was killed,” State Fire Marshal John Coburn said after inspecting the damage at the Lodge of the Four Seasons. “I’ve never seen that much damage without fatalities.”
Twenty-eight rooms in a rear part of the 311-room hotel were “dramatically damaged” by the Thursday night explosion, Coburn said. The blast blew out walls, shattered windows and cracked concrete walls and ceilings, he said.
Investigators said they believe that propane gas leaking from an underground line filled a hotel wing and was ignited when someone lit a cigar.
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