A small explosion in a fifth-wheel camper at a Wetaskiwin County campground Saturday night injured two people, one of them seriously.
Propane leaking from the fridge in the trailer sparked the explosion when the couple turned on the oven, county officials said Sunday.
The woman was treated for minor injuries. The man suffered second-degree burns and was airlifted to the University of Alberta hospital in Edmonton.
Mike Zajac, director of emergency services with Wetaskiwin County, said the explosion at the Battle Lake Park campground could have been worse.
“I definitely think that there could have been potential for some extreme seriousness, just due to the close proximity of that campsite,” he said.
Zajac said a bigger explosion may have ignited a fire that could have spread to other campsites and surrounding woods.
There was no fire after the initial flame went out, he said.
The explosion was at the Battle Lake Park campground, about 10 kilometres west of the village of Pigeon Lake and 100 kilometres southwest of Edmonton.
Zajac said the unfortunate situation can be a lesson for other RV and camper users.
“Make sure that all your appliances are in good repair,” he said. “Inspect them in the spring and maybe even before you put it away in the fall.”
Recreational vehicle users should refrain from repairing their own appliances if they don’t know how, he added.
“Let a professional look at it,” he urged.
Zajac didn’t have an update on the man’s condition.
A spokesperson for STARS, Fatima Khawaja, said emergency service crews do not know the man’s age.