Anybody else hear about this?

[evo 9 guy]

http://cbs4.com/local/west.park.propane.2.1226928.html



Man Injured After Propane Meat Smoker Explodes


WEST PARK (CBS4) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1
A cheap meat smoker turned out to be very costly for a West Park man who was burned when it exploded Sunday afternoon. CBS

What was supposed to be a relaxing day with neighbors at a barbecue in West Park turned into some frightening moments for one man who was severely injured after a propane fueled meat smoker exploded Sunday afternoon, Broward Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Dani Moschella said.

The incident occurred on the 4200 block of Southwest 33rd Drive.

Neighbors say the meat smoker was to blame. They said the man, who many referred to as Jesse, was preparing to sit back and watch the Dolphins game. He had just purchased the Smoky Mountain Series smoker from a garage sale on Saturday for $25.

"He was so excited about it," said his neighbor Luz Cruz.

The man who is in his 40s was transported to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood and his condition is not known.

 

[pineywoods]

Dang I wonder what happened hopefully we get a follow up as to what the cause was with the smoker

 

[bmudd14474]

prob a cracked line or leak near the burner. hope hes ok

 

[mossymo]

or as simple as a blown out burner.....

 

[partner in swine]

I've never had my charcoal and hickory explode. The chimney can get a bit hot to handle, but those are the risks you take.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

I sure do hope he'll come through this allright.

They don't mention alot of details...probably too early in the investigation. It does leave me wondering if he was a tobbaco smoker, and was lit-up when he opened the cabinet door to check why the temp gauge was reading too cold, or just taking a peek at progress of the smoke, and didn't realize the possiblility danger of a flame-out condition.

Unfortunately, I think there are too many people buying equipment, in a manner similar to this case, and not having proper instructions to operate the equipment safely, or most likely not knowing how to identify the tell-tail warning signs of a potentially serious problem, these things can, and inevitably, will happen.

I don't know how to prevent something like this in the future...it would be difficult at best, to target and educate the folks whom this could happen to.

Anyone have any ideas on that? Prevention is the best cure...

Eric

 

[nomorecoop]

If it's a case of flame out, using a grate thermometer will tell you somethings wrong; rapidly dropping temps is usually a good clue. Probably not a good idea to open the door with a lit cigarette if you suspect a flame out!!!

 

[mballi3011]

Does anyone know how it blew up. Maybe what caused it was it a gas leak or like brian said a cracked line. I hope that the guy is not too hurt. I better check out my Gosm to see if I have any cracks.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

I agree, this just may be a situation which he either wasn't experienced with a gas cooker, or may even have had a distraction which prevented him from seeing the danger signs. There are lots of folks who have never touched a gas cooker yet, and swear by charcoal/lump.

I saw nothing written in the article giving the cause.

Honestly, a check of the equipment should be done before every firing of a grill or smoker...I'm not comfortable without a quick check myself. I just keep it simple and start at the tank itself, then, LPG tank/regulator connection, general condition of the hose, blockage of gas burner venturi inlets, damaged/malfunctioning burner control valves, dirty/clogged/damaged burners, etc. These are all key areas which can effect personal safety as well as the preformance of the cooking equipment.

Believe me, I've lost a few month's growth of arm/eyebrow hair in the past 25+ years that I've used gassers. Every time it happens is a new situation that catches me off gaurd...just a quick flash or a grease flare-up will definately get your attention...these incidents typically aren't serious, and for me, they don't happen often. I've gotten a bit wiser for the wear.

I would have to say that if a gas appliance user doesn't consider the possbility of the equipment turning into a deadly and destructive force, they will be rudely awakened at some point in time.

If people were cautious enough to get proper instructions or follow the manufacturers instruction booklet, if available, the likelyhood of these unfortunate events could be greatly reduced.

Please, be safe with your rigs, folks. It's bad enough to hear of someone getting hurt, but it's especially an eye-opener, when they're doing something they should be enjoying.

Eric

 

[chisoxjim]

yikes... hope this fella is ok.

 

[coffee_junkie]

When I was green and had first got my smoker I had the flame go out and tried to restart it w/o opening and letting it air out, the thing lifted off the ground 2" due to teh explosion. there must have been a hell of a lot of gas in the smoker and exploded. A couple of years back here in Helena the fire chief (I will say it again FIRE CHIEF) burnt his house down b/c the hose to his grill was somehow severed and then lit on fire, can you say blow torch?

 

[mossymo]

3 years ago a friend of mine had an incident with a homemade propane smoker he made from a retired subway bread oven. He went out to check on it, saw them temp was low, so he opened the door to check and the flame was out. Without thinking he reached for the farmers matches and as he struck it he thought (Oh f*&$ this is stupid), at the same time there was ignition and he was blown about 20 - 25 feet back against his neighbor’s garage.

He had light surface burns from the calf’s of his legs on up to the top of his forehead and lost quite a bit of body hair (including eyebrows). The next few weeks for him was quite uncomfortable (he is a welder, imagine how the heat felt) and he had allot of scabbing. About 2 months later he was healed up with no scaring, but his respect for propane is at a heighten level now.