Fire & explosion

Propane tank explosion injures Florida woman

By December 22, 2018 No Comments

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Elliot Olsen has regained millions of dollars for people harmed in fires and explosions. If you or a family member were injured in a propane tank explosion or apartment fire, you might have cause to file a lawsuit. Please call (612) 337-6126 for a free consultation.

Fires and explosions make headlines across the United States every day. They’re simply unavoidable.

Set a Google alert for the term “propane tank explosion” or “apartment fire,” and your email inbox will be inundated with updates.

Here are three news items from just this week:

From the Orlando Sentinel: A Florida woman was burned after a propane tank explosion in her home Thursday that was so powerful it crumpled garage doors, blew out windows, and ripped walls from the foundation, according to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and ABC Action News.

The woman was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, a spokesperson for fire rescue said.

Her daughter also was in the home at the time of the propane tank explosion, as well as three dogs. Neither the daughter nor the dogs were injured.

People in nearby homes felt the impact of the propane tank explosion.

“The whole house shook,” Susan Goodwin told the TV station. “It was terrifying.”

Describing her injured neighbor, Goodwin said: “She was in pretty bad shape. Face was banged up. Her hair had been singed. Her socks were literally blown off her feet, shoes. Her pants looked like she had been in a fire.”

Each residence in the tree-lined Lutz neighborhood of stately homes, about 15 miles north of Tampa, has a propane tank buried underground, ABC Action News reported.

From SFGATE.com: An early-morning apartment fire Friday in San Jose killed one person and left more than a dozen people displaced, authorities said.

Firefighters responded around 4 a.m. to an apartment complex fire on Blossom Hill Road west of Almaden Expressway, said Capt. Mitch Matlow, a San Jose Fire Department spokesman.

The Red Cross is working to assist 15 people – 12 adults and three children – displaced by the fire.

Matlow confirmed that the person killed was a man in his 30s.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

From WFSB-TV, Hartford, Connecticut: A mother of two girls died Wednesday in an apartment fire in Groton. She has been identified as Ana Berroa, 31.

The fire was reported around 9 p.m. at an apartment complex located at 148 Branford Avenue.

Firefighters were unable to gain access to the building because there was heavy fire in the rear of the apartment on the first floor, and in the front portion of the second floor. Berroa was found dead on the second floor.

“The apartment is totally gone. Heavy, heavy fire. There’s really not much left inside,” said Chief Robert Thompkins of the Groton Fire Department.

Management statement

The Branford Manor Management released a statement:

“We are working closely with the local police department and fire department to determine the cause and all of the facts around the very tragic fire. Our teams are focusing on our residents with whom we are in close contact. We have identified apartments to relocate three families to as well as resources to provide furniture and furnishings for those in need to ensure they have a warm and comfortable place for the holidays. We are also partnering with local agencies who are offering gifts for the children for the holidays.”

Two young daughters

Michael Burdick, who said he was a friend of Berroa, said, “We saw the smoke barreling out of the house, so I tried to kick in the back door. I eventually got the back door kicked in, (a firefighter was) in the front kicking in the front door, and once we opened it finally, the fire intensified like tenfold. I knew right there she was gone.”

Burdick said the victim has two young daughters, ages 10 and 3.

“It’s surreal,” Burdick said. “I just, like I said, I feel like I’m in a dream. I’m just waiting to wake up. It hasn’t fully hit me yet.”

Residents in four units have been displaced, according to Chief Tompkins.

A spokesperson for the Red Cross said the organization is helping four other families consisting of five adults and six children.

Donations accepted

The Groton Police Department donated $300 to the family, and anyone who would like to donate to the Berroa family can call 860-449-0331, or send a check to:

Family Fund Fatal Fire Branford Manor
c/o St. John’s Christian Church
346 Shennecosset Road
Groton, CT 06340

Free consultation

Elliot Olsen has decades of experience representing people harmed in fires and explosions. You can contact him for a free consultation by filling out the following form and submitting it: