Douglas County family encourages vigilance after propane tank fire destroys home
It's been two years since a Douglas County family lost their home to a propane fire. Now, they're warning it can happen to anyone.
"That was our old house," said Joel Boulder, while scrolling through old photos on his phone, "There was the grill, and that was the deck."
In July of 2021, Boulder fired up his grill to cook a T-bone steak.
"I went through the usual routine, lifted the lid, opened the cabinet drawers, pulled out the tray," Boulder said.
He lit a propane tank he had recently exchanged at his local Safeway.
"It lit normally, and everything was fine," Boulder said.
But a minute later, things changed.
"It was woosh! And the flames pushed open the cabinet doors," Boulder said.
Boulder, his wife and their dog narrowly escaped as their home erupted in flames.
"Five minutes later, there was a huge explosion, very very loud explosion and it blew the roof off the east side of the house; you could hear the glass shattering," Boulder recalled.
They lost all their belongings, and the home they had lived in for over 30 years.
"It was like you're in a nightmare, but you know, it's real," Boulder said.
An investigation determined the cause to be a propane leak.
"After the fire, we found a fragment from the tank. The date of manufacture was August of 2002," Boulder said.
The tank should have been re-certified within 12 years, and again five years after that, but Boulder discovered his tank was only re-certified once in 2016.
Now, the Boulders are renting a nearby home while they rebuild. They hope to have their new home built by April. This time using fire retardant materials, and they say they'll only use a natural gas grill.
After losing so much, Boulder is still grateful that no one was injured, and the fire didn't spread.
"The neighborhood didn't burn down, and it could have been so much worse," Boulder said.
He wants everyone to know the risk of propane tanks.
"I thought these things were safe," Boulder said.
And how to use them safely.
"It requires more than just keeping your grill clean it really is important to test for leaks and make sure that the tank you get in any type of an exchange is in good repair and not an old tank," Boulder said.
You can check the manufacture date on the top of most propane tanks.
West Metro Fire responded to the Boulders' home and were able to extinguish the fire. They say they've responded to about a half dozen propane tank fires over the past two years. In most of those cases, the fire was caused by leaks around the fittings or within the appliance itself — not the tank. Hoses might not have been properly attached, or they were cracked and leaking or loose.
West Metro Fire Rescue safety tips:
- Don't store propane tanks indoors (including a garage or storage shed) or inside vehicles
- Only use propane outdoors
- Make sure you turn it off the gas when you're finished
- Check for leaks by spraying a mixture of liquid soap and water on the hose and fittings. If you see bubbles, you have a leak
- Keep your grill on an open, level surface away from your home, any other structure with an overhang and any outdoor decor such as furniture or umbrellas
- Regularly clean your grill and the tray below it to prevent fat and grease from building up
