By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing:
• A propane line damaged by heavy snow caused a church explosion in Boonville, New York, early Feb. 17, injuring five people, including the fire chief and four firefighters.
• The blast occurred at Abundant Life Fellowship Church on State Route 12 as firefighters responded to a reported gas odor and attempted to shut off power.
• Officials say the explosion happened after the church’s roof slumped under snow weight, compromising the propane line and allowing gas to accumulate before ignition.
• Victims were transported to area hospitals with multiple individuals in critical condition; the church was destroyed and there is no indication of criminal activity.
BOONVILLE, N.Y. — A damaged propane line blamed on heavy snow accumulation led to a catastrophic explosion at the Abundant Life Fellowship Church in Boonville on Feb. 17, critically injuring the town’s fire chief and several firefighters, authorities said.
New York State Police said the blast occurred as department personnel were responding to reports of a gas odor and attempting to locate the electrical panel to shut off power to the building on State Route 12 when the furnace activated and triggered the explosion.
Officials determined the church’s roof had sagged under the weight of heavy snow, damaging a propane fuel line that allowed gas to build up inside the structure before ignition, according to a state police release.
Among the five people taken to hospitals were Boonville Fire Chief David Pritchard Jr. and four firefighters; some remained in critical condition days after the blast, and the church was considered destroyed.
State police said there was no indication of criminal activity, and the investigation remains active as authorities continue to examine the circumstances of the explosion.