‘We could be dead’: Leaking Propane Causes Erda Well House Explosion
Jul 21, 2021, 6:34 PM | Updated: Jul 22, 2021, 7:46 am
ERDA, Utah – A propane-filled well house ignited late Tuesday night, causing a blast that could be heard for miles in Tooele County.
“She turned the sprinkler system on at 11 o’clock last night and that’s when it went boom,” said Wayne Worwood.
A propane tank inside the well house was slowly leaking, according to North Tooele Fire Chief Randy Willden. When the water pump switched on, it sparked the explosion.
“We’re in bed with TV on, that’s when we hear the loud boom,” said Norma Worwood.
VIDEO: "We’re in bed with TV on, that’s when we hear the loud boom"
A couple in Erda found what caused a loud explosion last night that damaged their garage.
“The door to the well house was all crinkled. You couldn’t get it.”
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— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) July 21, 2021
“Shook the house,” Wayne Worwood said. “Everybody in the neighborhood heard it.”
The couple went outside their home on Erda Way next to the Tooele Valley Airport and found dust and smoke coming from their in-ground well house.
“The door to the well house was all crinkled,” Norma Worwood said. “You couldn’t get in.”
Fire crews arrived and put out a small fire inside the well house and discovered the leaking propane tank, Willden said. No one was injured.
In addition to crumpling the steel door, the blast damaged the concrete walls and roof of the well house. Flying debris and the force of the explosion damaged the door, siding a roof of the adjacent detached garage. Lights inside the garage also shattered.
"We could be dead"
Blast heard for miles in Tooele County last night happened in this underground well house in Erda.
The pump ignited leaking propane. The force and flying debris damaged the nearby garage.
LIVE report coming up at 5pm on @KSL5TV @kslnewsradio pic.twitter.com/REgOZQWEMY
— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) July 21, 2021
“We could be dead,” Norma Worwood said. “Stuff could have blown out of there, which some of it did, could have hit somebody and we’re just fortunate that our house is okay.”
The Worwoods are adding up the damage but did receive good news that their well is still operational and pumping water to supply their home and landscaping.
“Fortunate that we’re alive,” Norma said. “Fortunate that we have a good community.”
