A 79-year-old Waco man has died from injuries he suffered when an outdoor propane heater exploded on Monday. Joe Aleman was hospitalized at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas with severe burns on 40 percent of his body. Falls County Precinct 3 Constable Richard Aleman Jr., Joe Aleman’s nephew, said the decision was made Tuesday to focus on his uncle’s comfort and his last rites were read.
Firefighters were called to the scene in the 3000 block of Homan Avenue at about 1 p.m. on Monday after an outdoor propane heater caught fire and exploded. Aleman was first taken to Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center and then transferred to Parkland where he passed away.
It is not known at this time whether the heater was defective in any way. Issues with propane can include insufficient levels of odorant to warn of gas leaks. The odorant is a chemical that makes the propane gas smell like rotting cabbage so that people can tell when there is a leak.
