Officials: Propane Leak Caused Texas Fire

Feb. 1, 2004
A leak from a propane tank used to fuel a small stove led to an explosion and fire that killed four people and injured three others, authorities said.
EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- A leak from a propane tank used to fuel a small stove led to an explosion and fire that killed four people and injured three others, authorities said.

All those killed - a man, a 6-year-old boy and girls ages 2 and 7 - had been unable to escape a bedroom because the window was partially blocked by bunk beds, fire officials said.

Two women, 35 and 61 years old, and a 12-year-old boy were taken to the University Medical Center's Timothy J. Harnar Burn Center in Lubbock after the fire late Friday.

Officials on Saturday declined to release names, pending notification of next of kin. The relationships of the victims were unclear Saturday night.

Area residents and El Paso police officers smashed through a bedroom window with a baseball bat to helped the 12-year-old boy escape.

A steady stream of cars drove down the street in front of the house on Saturday morning. Some people looked on from their cars while others stopped to leave memorials.

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