BEAVER — No one was hurt early Thursday morning when a suspected propane leak caused a small unoccupied residence to explode in flames just off U.S. Highway 101.
The explosion blew out the cabin’s doors and walls, leaving its roof to collapse into a burning pile of rubble, said Darrel Gaydeski, assistant chief of Clallam County Fire District No. 1.
Neighbors reported the explosion and fire at 3:41 a.m.
Firefighters arrived about four minutes later at the residence, located on a dirt road off the highway near milepost 199.
“We cut open the gate to the dirt road and saw this big burning pile of rubble,” Gaydeski said.
“The back door was blown 50 feet away and the front door 10 feet away. The walls blew out and roof fell down and caught fire.”
The structure’s propane tank — its only source of power — was cold, so it probably was leaking and caused the explosion, he said.
“It was a large boom. We have firemen living within a half-mile and they said it was loud,” Gaydeski said.
Nobody inside
The structure was about 600 square feet, Gaydeski said. It belonged to Jenny James, who lives in Sequim, he said.
“I was pretty happy when she called,” he said.
“It’s not a full-time residence. Fortunately, she was not here.”
