A man was badly burned in an explosion Monday evening at a house on Mill Street in Henderson’s East End.
Officials said they were unsure what caused the explosion, which was strong enough to blow out part of a wall on the side of the brick house located at 121 Mill St.
Steve Majors was at his parents home around the corner from Mill Street when he heard the explosion.
“We thought it was thunder,” Majors said.
Kathy Du, who was also in the area, said she realized the loud noise wasn’t thunder when she heard sirens approaching. She and Majors spotted the victim outside.
“A gentleman’s burned really bad,” Du said. “He was sitting on the ground. They cut his shirt off and he was burned really bad.”
Henderson Fire Department was dispatched to the scene at 6:51 p.m. Monday to a house explosion with possible entrapment, said Assistant Fire Chief Jeremy Baxter.
The first firefighters on scene arrived two minutes late. One patient was already outside and substantial damage to the house, Baxter said.
Firefighters started basic life support care on the man as crews entered the home to search for other patients and look for fire extension. Two other people had been inside when the explosion occurred.
“Neither one was injured,” Baxter said. “Both refused treatment.”
The other man, who was not identified by officials, was taken by ambulance to Methodist Hospital for treatment. Baxter said the man’s injuries were “substantial,” but had not further updates on the man’s condition.
Police said LifeFlight helicopter would be sent to the hospital if the patient needed to be transported.
“The house is not going to be livable at this point,” said Baxter.
All the fire from the explosion was in the attic. While there wasn’t a lot of fire, it was difficult to get to and difficult to dig out, he said. All the utilities were secured shortly after the fire was extinguished.
It’s unknown what caused the explosion, Baxter said. The State Fire Marshall’s Office was called to assist HFD with the investigation.
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