Explosion, fire injures man at automotive shop
A man suffered serious burns in an explosion at a central valley strip mall Monday morning, Las Vegas Fire Department officials said.
Firefighters responded to 1702 Western Ave., near Interstate 15 between Sahara Avenue and Charleston Boulevard, about 10:30 a.m. The fire was extinguished by the time crews arrived at the shop, Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said.
A man had been trying to beat the lid off of a medical oxygen bottle so he could recycle the bottle, investigators reported. They believe that the oxygen inside ignited when it came into contact with grease and oil on a metal bench, causing an explosion and flash fire.
The bottle was propelled into the ceiling, where it lodged in the area above the ceiling.
The man was taken to University Medical Center with second- and third-degree burns covering 40 percent of his body, Szymanski said. The man’s legs were most seriously burned.
Raeden Ramoran, who works next door at West Coast Paracord, said he and others were working and heard the explosions.
“I thought it was a bomb,” Ramoran said. “All we heard was screaming.”
The fire caused an estimated $10,000 in damage to the shop, Szymanski said. Some windows had blown out, and a garage door was bent from the blast.
Review-Journal photographer Chase Stevens and reporter Annalise Little contributed to this report. Contact reporter Kimberly De La Cruz at 702-383-0381, kdelacruz@reviewjournal.com or on Twitter @KimberlyinLV.
