A tenant was injured and an apartment damaged when a small explosion went off in Columbus Tuesday evening.
According to reports from the Columbus Fire Department, firefighters were called to the 600 block of Lafayette Avenue at about 7:20 Tuesday evening on a reported explosion in a kitchen. When firefighters reached the scene several tenants were outside of a 10-unit apartment building but there was no sign of smoke or fire.
The tenant in the apartment had burns to her arm. She told firefighters that she had been spraying bug spray underneath the kitchen sink when the spray ignited. An investigation revealed a damaged wall, blown out window and broken sink in the apartment. Investigators concluded that the cloud of spray was ignited by the pilot light on a gas stove causing a flash fire. Firefighters turned off the gas to the apartment and the water.
The woman was in stable condition and was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital for treatment.
Firefighters warn that you should use caution with any aerosol spray, as the hydrocarbon propellant is very flammable and can ignite when in the presence of a flame.
Columbus firefighters offer other safety tips for aerosol cans:
- Read safety warning prior to use.
- Puncturing cans causes a sudden release of pressure that may cause the can to become a projectile.
- Incinerating a can, even if it is empty, risks explosion.
- Aerosol cans that contain hazardous ingredients are required to have a warning label. Ingredients are considered hazardous if they have one or more of these characteristics: Flammable, Toxic, Caustic, Irritant, Sensitizer, Carcinogen, Nerve toxin, Reproductive toxin.
- Indoor use may cause eye and breathing irritation.