A man was hospitalized with burns and smoke inhalation on Friday after an explosion and fire at a cabin on Lake of the Woods, east of Solon Springs.
Dale O’Brien, 85, evacuated the residence under his own power and drove to the nearest occupied place he could find, knowing he was burned and in need of assistance, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office reported in a news release Monday.
O’Brien told deputies he was trying to start his gas fireplace when a burst of flames shot out at him.
He left in his vehicle and was later taken to a hospital with burns to his hands, face and legs, the sheriff’s office reported.
The incident on the Lake of the Woods Loop Road was reported shortly after noon by a neighbor who reported hearing a loud explosion that shook her house. The neighbor saw O’Brien drive away in a hurry and evacuated her own residence as explosions continued.
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Emergency personnel arrived to find flames periodically shooting several hundred feet into the air as propane escaped and ignited from a tank that had been filled in the morning, said the news release. The explosions stopped after firefighters attacked the blaze.
The cabin was a total loss, and several nearby structures were also damaged from the heat.
Volunteer firefighters from Solon Springs, Gordon, Highland, Bennett and Lake Nebagamon responded to the incident.
