Lit candle sparks deadly camper explosion, Maine officials say. ‘Freak accident’

Two women severely burned in a camper explosion while staying at a Maine campground died of their injuries, according to state fire officials, who believe their deaths are linked to a gas leak.

The blast was likely triggered when one woman lit a candle around 12:30 p.m. at Powder Horn Campground in Old Orchard Beach on July 26, the Maine Office of State Fire Marshal said in a July 28 news release.

At the time, “LP gas,” which is liquefied petroleum gas, had been leaking inside and below the camper, where Massachusetts residents Alesia Ventura-Large, of Marlborough, and Nancy Pilsch, of Leominster, were staying, based on initial findings from an ongoing investigation, according to the office.

The women were visiting Old Orchard Beach, along the Saco Bay, about a 20-mile drive southwest from Portland, to celebrate Pilsch’s upcoming birthday, Ventura-Large’s husband told WCVB-TV. He said Pilsch was turning 58 on July 28.

“It’s surreal, it’s an absolute freak accident,” Pilsch’s neighbor Steve Bercovitz said in an interview with the TV station. “I don’t think liquid propane, you can’t smell, like natural gas.”

“There was no way for them to know anything was wrong or happening until one of them lit a candle,” he added.

After the camper exploded, first responders found Ventura-Large, also 58, and Pilsch badly burned, according to the state fire marshal’s office.

The women had escaped the camper when first responders made it to the campground, WMTW reported. They said they lit a candle after smelling garlic in the camper, which was owned by Ventura-Large’s family.

One woman died the evening of July 28, Old Orchard Beach Fire Chief John Gilboy said, according to the TV station. The other woman died the next morning.

“These people were wonderful human beings from all accounts that we’ve learned about,” Maine State Fire Marshal Shawn Esler said, WMTW reported.

For homes with propane or natural gas appliances, the state fire marshal’s office advised having gas detectors installed.

“These detectors can alert occupants to dangerous gas buildup and provide valuable time to evacuate or take safety precautions,” the office said.

Julia Marnin

McClatchy DC

Julia Marnin covers courts for McClatchy News, writing about criminal and civil affairs, including cases involving policing, corrections, civil liberties, fraud, and abuses of power. As a reporter on McClatchy’s National Real-Time Team, she’s also covered the COVID-19 pandemic and a variety of other topics since joining in 2021, following a fellowship with Newsweek. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, she was raised in South Jersey and is now based in New York State.