VENTURA : Man Critically Burned in Explosion

A man despondent over a soured relationship turned his home north of Ventura into a firebomb Monday morning by filling it with natural gas and then lighting a cigarette, authorities said.

Garland Eugene Buck, 42, suffered second-degree burns over 60% of his body after the 1 a.m. explosion in his home in the 100 block of McKee Street, said Lt. Mike Pitts of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. He was listed in critical condition in the burn ward at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center late Monday, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Sheriff’s officials listed Buck’s actions as a suicide attempt. Buck disconnected the gas line from a stove and taped all exterior doors to the house, Pitts said.

Buck thought that the escaping gas would overcome him, Pitts said, and when it didn’t, Buck lit a cigarette.

The resulting explosion was so violent it blew an entire front wall from the dwelling and rocked a neighbor’s home 100 feet away, officials said.

The explosion caused $60,000 in damage to the home and $10,000 to its contents, officials estimated. Buck was the only occupant of the house, deputies said.

Buck was upset over a recent breakup with a girlfriend, Pitts said.