A house explosion in Solen, North Dakota injured one man who was exiting the house when the blast occurred around 6:30 a.m. on May 27. Michael Meyer, a 63-year-old school bus driver and retired member of the U.S. Air Force, was able to drive himself to meet the ambulance. At the hospital, he underwent surgery for a broken arm and was released.
Solen is 20 miles south of Mandan. On the morning of the explosion, Meyer was on his way to help his brother and sister-in-law round up calves, but realized he forgot to take his medication, according to information on a GoFundMe page the family started to help him. He went back to the house, took his medication and opened some windows. As he was stepping out the door, the house exploded. The house and all of his belongings were completely destroyed.
An investigation into the cause of the blast is underway. Maxine Herr, PIO at Morton County, told the Bismarck Tribune that the investigation’s preliminary findings indicate a possible propane leak.
A man escaped serious injury at 6:30 this a.m. following an explosion at his home near Solen. He had just walked out of the house when it exploded, resulting in an injury to his arm. The residence was completely destroyed by fire. The incident remains under investigation. pic.twitter.com/zWHFjVdKyf
— MortonCountySheriff (@MortonCountySD) May 28, 2018
Propane is a highly combustible odorless gas. A chemical odorant is added to propane so if people smell it they know there is a gas leak. But sometimes there isn’t a warning smell before an explosion. Generally, this is because not enough odorant was added to the propane or the odorant faded. The explosion lawyers at Pritzker Hageman represent clients nationwide who have been injured in explosions and recently won a $10 million settlement for one of them. For a free, no-obligation consultation with them use this contact form.
