Just before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, a detached garage went up in flames, causing a Pine Grove man to be airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center.

Photo by: Bill Lavallie

On Tuesday evening, a garage nestled under some shady trees in Pine Grove was cracked open by a ball of fire.

Sean Beckley, who was living inside the structure when a propane tank is believed to have exploded, battled his way out of the flaming wreckage, sustaining major burns to his head and chest. Despite his injuries, Beckley managed to call 911. Firefighting units from the Amador Fire Protection District's Battalion 10 and CAL FIRE quickly arrived and gained control of the blaze before it fanned out to the surrounding trees and a house on the property where Beckley's parents live. An American Legion Ambulance unit was also dispatched to the scene to render aid to Beckley. Responding paramedics decided to have the 45-year-old transported by helicopter to the University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

Firefighters knocked the blaze out within a half hour of turning their hoses on. Surveying the damage to the 1,200-square-foot structure, they could tell by the ballooned contortion in the garage door that a powerful blast had occurred. An investigation into the cause of the fire is now underway, though it appears to have been triggered by the ignition of propane vapors.

According to Ernie Burgess, a manager at Kamps Propane in Pioneer, property owners should always keep a close eye on their tanks in order to minimize the chances of having an accident. "Typically, there shouldn't be any vapors at all leaking from a propane tank," Burgess said. "If there are, they are usually coming out of the relief valve. If someone has any indication at all that vapors are leaking from their tank - if they smell anything - they should call their propane company immediately."

While AFPD officials were unavailable to comment on the location of the propane tank in relation to Beckley's now-charred garage, Burgess explained that tanks should never be stored inside or near structures.

"Propane tanks are meant to be kept outside and away from buildings, with the area around them clear, clean and safe," he said.

"You never want them near a structure precisely because of their explosive potential. You should remember the kind of danger hot water heaters or anything else with a pilot light would pose in the event that vapors were leaking. Propane tanks need to be taken seriously and people have to use good judgment and common sense."