Explosion in Broward apartment unit blows out windows, doors, burns man, rescuers say
A man suffered serious burns after a spray gun — being used for construction inside the bathroom of a Broward County apartment — exploded, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said.
The blast was so strong, the apartment’s windows shattered and the doors blew off their hinges. It also caused a fire that quickly spread throughout the unit and into the attic.
“It wasn’t the proper equipment to be using in that environment,” Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Batallion Chief Stephen Gollan said.
The blast happened at around 11:30 a.m. at a building in the Manor Grove Village complex at 12 NE 19th Ct. in Wilton Manors, near North Andrews Avenue.
Gollan said the spray gun was being used without proper ventilation. There was also a compressor that likely caused the accident, Gollan said.
The man, who has been identified and was alone at the time, was taken to Broward Health Medical Center in serious, but stable condition. Gollan said he suffered second degree burns to his arms and other burns throughout his body. He was later transferred to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s burn unit.
Videos provided by fire rescue show a blown-out window on the second floor. Videos also shows a charred apartment with debris scattered everywhere.
Crews were able to contain the major structural damage to the unit where the explosion took place, Gollan said. There was some smoke damage throughout the building, but everyone was allowed back in their units.
This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 1:39 PM.
