Paradise man burned in propane explosion

PARADISE, Cache County — A Paradise man was hospitalized Friday after a propane explosion burned his neck and arms.

The 54-year-old man was operating a small tractor known as a skid steer near 8600 S. 1200 East around 8:30 a.m. when he accidentally backed into a 500-gallon propane tank, Cache County Sheriff's Lt. Matt Bilodeau said. The man hit a valve on the tank, causing propane to leak from it.

The tank was on one side of a large shed, and the man had just started a fire to burn twigs and leaves on the opposite side of the shed. Bilodeau said the man realized the danger but was not able to extinguish the flames before the propane got to them.

"The propane found the ignition source and a fire started," the lieutenant said. "It set part of the skid steer and a couple chairs on fire and blew the roof off of the shed, burning the man's neck base and arms."

The man was transported to Logan Regional Hospital, but had "severe enough injuries" that he later had to be transported to University Hospital, Cache County Sheriff's Sgt. Wyatt Goring said.

The fire turned out to be a minor "flash burn" and was quickly extinguished by the Paradise Fire Department, Bilodeau said.

— Emiley Morgan