Three people were injured and air lifted to hospitals early Saturday morning after an explosion rocked an area of Ky. 136 in Niagara.
Neighbors of the residence at 16271 Ky. 136-East say a loud explosion shook their houses at about 7 a.m.
The three injured include Harold Dover, who has lived there for about ten years, a neighbor said. Additionally, there was an adult woman, Kim Dover, and a young girl, Nicole Dover, said Kenny Garrett, the director of the Henderson Office of Emergency Management.
Melissa and Drew Clements, who live across the street, were at home when they heard the loud boom. They then ran out to their front yard and saw the house across the street on fire, Melissa Clements said.
The couple then ran over to the house and stood near the entrance and waved the Dovers to get outside and then took them across the street to their yard and covered them with blankets, Melissa Clements said. Shortly after, the house which was partially on fire exploded again, she said.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” she said.
She said Deaconess EMS arrived and transported the three people to Niagara Elementary School where they were air lifted to other hospitals.
Two were transported to Louisville and one was transported to Nashville, said Garrett.
All three were described as being badly burned, said neighbors.
Official word from volunteer fire departments was also not available Saturday morning. Crews were working to fully extinguish the fire, spraying water from a fully extended ladder of a ladder truck down on to what was left of the residence. Smoke billowed up from the demolished home.
Neighbors also said the fire started when Dover tried to light his propane furnace.
Next-door neighbor Kay Jackson described it as a “huge explosion.” She said she rushed out to lead her four quarter horses out from their barn which is located behind Dover’s home.
Between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., vehicles from seven different county crews helped at the scene. Those include the departments from Niagara, Robards, Cairo, Baskett, Smith Mills and Corydon as well as the Henderson City-County Rescue Squad. The Henderson Office of Emergency Management was also on scene.
“We’re lucky to have our volunteer fire departments,” Clements said.
In the afternoon, Niagara Fire Chief Glenn Powell said that tones went off shortly after 7 a.m. and his department responded within three minutes. Powell said he lives within half a mile of the Dover residence. “I could see the black smoke” when he left his house in the morning, he said.
