12 hours ago
‘Unsecured propane line' triggered Block Island explosion that injured two, officials say
A home on West Beach Road on Block Island exploded on Saturday, June 14, 2025. Five people were in the house and three were trapped, according to the Block Island Volunteer Fire Department. A preliminary investigation shows that an unsecured propane line may have caused the explosion.
Block Island Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department
According to Matthew Touchette, a spokesman for the state fire marshal, two people were airlifted to Rhode Island Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
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'One person suffered a broken femur, another had second-degree burns,' the fire department said.
Firefighters also extinguished two small fires at the scene.
In an email on Monday, Touchette wrote the incident was 'caused by a propane explosion.'
'The homeowners were at the house over Memorial Day weekend and had no propane which prompted them to call their propane company, who told them the tank was turned off,' Touchette wrote. 'When they returned this past weekend, the homeowner turned the propane on, and the explosion occurred a short time later.'
After excavating the site, officials discovered an unsecured propane line in the crawl space of the house, 'which indicated propane was released into the crawl space, triggering the explosion.'
'The Office of the State Fire Marshal has ruled the incident accidental,' Touchette wrote.
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A home on West Beach Road on Block Island exploded on Saturday, June 14, 2025. Five people were in the house and three were trapped, according to the Block Island Volunteer Fire Department. A preliminary investigation shows that an unsecured propane line may have caused the explosion.
Block Island Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department
Christopher Gavin can be reached at
