COLUMBUS, Ind. – An explosion and subsequent small fire in the kitchen of a 10-unit apartment building in downtown Columbus injured one resident on Tuesday evening. The Columbus Fire Department (CFD) was dispatched to 637 Lafayette Ave., at around 7:20 p.m.
When firefighters arrived they found no smoke or fire but located several of the building’s residents standing outside who told CFD that they had heard a loud sound from within the apartment complex.
One adult female tenant said she received superficial burn injuries from a flash fire that occurred in her apartment. She was evaluated and seemed to be in stable condition before being transported to the hospital.
The female tenant told firefighters she was spraying bug killer under her kitchen sink when she felt what she described as an explosion. CFD crews determined that the pilot light from an adjacent gas range ignited the fumes from the bug spray and caused a flash fire in the apartment’s kitchen.