We are currently in Kidmans and preparing to head off in the morning.
At about 4pm this afternoon I was sitting outside our van when I felt and heard an almighty explosion. It was heard all over the camp. I raced to the scene fearing the worst but prepared to do what I have been trained to do.
About 15 others also converged on the scene and what we saw was this:
A couple towing a caravan had arrived about an hour prior to the incident and set up. The husband smelt gas and went to shut off the gas cylinder, as he was doing this his partner opened the oven and hit the electric igniter which set off the leaking gas. The explosion was mostly contained within the kitchen cupboards but has caused significant damage to the caravan.
The partner was fortunately uninjured but is in a state of shock.
The caravan door was blown off the van completely, the outside of the van at the kitchen cupboard level is substantially bulged outwards and the benchtop was blown upwards. The cupboard doors were mostly splintered.
The Police, Ambulance and Rural Fire service were all in attendance in a very short timeframe.
I suppose the lesson can can be learned from this is to check your gas system for leaks at every service interval. The caravan is a late model one.
I do not know exactly what was leaking or why. These two people are extremely lucky to be alive and I give thanks for that.
Please take care out there.
Frank
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Avagreatday.
Kathy and Frank currently at Home near Quirindi NSW
I was at a Happy Hour last week on the way to Clermont , when I noticed a gas smell. I said to the owners Can you smell that gas, No they couldn't. I was sitting on the end of a line along their van. Each time a waft of gas smell came around the corner I got the smell. I told them so. In the end the chap thought he better go investigate. Sure enough he had a leak and could smell it once he got around the other side of the van. After he sorted it, I thinking replacing the gas bottle with a spare, his partner said No wonder that last bottle didn't last nearly as long as it usually does.
A recipe for disaster.
Like boating as well. Also where there's smoke there's fire I guess. Very lucky outcome. Remember Pier 35 Melbourne boat explosion a few years back. Very sad
There is a young boy from crescent head scarred for life not all that long ago
I do believe a gas bottle caught fire and took off like a jet not upward but
Sideways and it went straight through the tent the young man was in he and his mum
Were burnt badly he has awful scars throughout his face and body
I hate gas bottles for this reason
