KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A tent fire that occurred Sunday night at a homeless encampment in Kalamazoo was caused by someone "actively filling one-pound propane tanks from a larger 20-pound tank near an open flame," the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety said.
“There was a failure with the improvised adaptor on one of the propane tanks causing an explosion," Fire Marshal Scott Brooks said. "Due to the intense heat from the fire, 15 other one-pound propane tanks exploded.”
No one was seriously hurt in the incident.
One person reported minor injuries and they were treated and released by a local ambulance service.
Three people were taken to a local hotel for the night as their property had significant damage.
Ian Ealenzuela, a man who's been staying in the encampment for four months, was a few hundred feet away from the fire when it happened.
"We're trying to stay warm as best we can, but accidents happen, too," Ealenzuela said.
