The propane tank at the LEAP building had been filled Friday, Sept. 13 with 400 gallons of propane but was empty when the building exploded just after 8 a.m. last Monday, Sept. 16.

In a statement, the Office of State Fire Marshal said the propane line went from the 400-gallon outside tank at the rear of the property to the basement of the building via an underground section ...

Propane provides clean fuel for fireplaces, dryers, water heaters, furnaces and cooking appliances. The national average cost for an above-ground 250-gallon tank costs about $400 to $1,000 to install.

Chief Swenson said there was a 100-gallon tank of propane in the carport which also ignited and contributed to the rapid spread of fire. A neighbor notified the home residents of the fire.

A massive explosion, likely caused by a leaking 500-gallon propane tank, had destroyed his next-door neighbor’s home and killed a firefighter, officials said.

On Wednesday morning, Newton Fire/EMS worked a leak from a 500-gallon propane tank at Forest Products Supply in the 700 block of S. Spencer. Authorities evacuated a half-mile radius around the site.

Leaking 500-gallon propane tank appeared to cause massive home blast. Authorities identified a firefighter killed in the explosion as 45-year-old Trevor Brown of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company.