Investigators from the state fire marshal’s office have determined the cause of an explosion that injured two student firefighters and an instructor back in the fall.
The incident took place on October 4 during a training exercise at a Mobile Live Fire Training Unit trailer, which was set up in South Hadley. Jennifer Mieth, spokesperson for the state Department of Fire Services, told 22News that inside the trailer, propane gas is used to fuel fires in three different props, which student firefighters then have to put out. On that day, the firefighter and two students were going through training when some propane ignited unexpectedly, causing an explosion and a flash fire.
While the explosion pushed open the windows and one of the doors, everyone was able to get out of the trailer, and none of the firefighters were seriously injured.