California IN BRIEF : CHESTER : 1 Killed, 9 Injured in Propane Blast

One person died and nine others were injured when a propane explosion and fire leveled an apartment house in this small mountain community, Plumas County sheriff’s officials said. The cause of the blast was under investigation. Twenty people were in the apartments at the time of the explosion. One unidentified person was killed and nine others suffered injuries that included cuts, scrapes and burns, the Sheriff’s Department said. Fire officials said the explosion ignited a fire that destroyed the building. The explosion followed a series of propane blasts that have killed three people, hospitalized six others and destroyed four buildings in the Sierra Nevada since last week.