Six people were hospitalized after a fire ripped through a Langley home Saturday afternoon.
The fire was sparked at about 2:45 p.m. when someone accidentally tripped over a heating element used for cooking on the backyard deck, said Langley Deputy Fire Chief Russ Jenkins. The element was connected to a propane tank which ruptured and separated from the hose and seal, causing an explosion. Several neighbours called 911 when they heard sounds of an explosion.
"Black smoke was about a football field in height, just going straight up," said neighbour Angelya Gedye.
Witnesses could be heard exclaiming about the speed with which the blaze spread at the home on 242 Street. Eight fire trucks were called in to battle the fire and officials were concerned the blaze might jump the road to a forested area near Tall Timber Golf Course.
Nine people were inside the home when the flames broke out. Two of the six people taken to hospital suffered second and third-degree burns, and two people suffered minor burns.
Neighbour Jarod Costain noted how the fire could have been much worse if it had spread to the nearby hedge.
"It was pretty close, it's kind of surprsing that it didn't catch 'cause one of the firemen said that if that catches, it's like a wick. That's 300 feet of hedge," he said.
Chief Jenkins said it’s very odd for a propane tank to explode. He urged people to check and re-certify their propane tanks to avoid explosions.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Jonathan Glasgow
