The Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office has determined that an explosion that occurred Saturday afternoon in Bear, Delaware, was accidental.
The blast took place at approximately 12:30 p.m. along the 3300 block of Wrangle Hill Road, near the railroad crossing north of Red Lion Road. According to investigators, crews were working on a track maintenance vehicle equipped with a 500-pound propane tank when a malfunction occurred during the heating process of the tracks, causing the tank to explode.
The explosion completely destroyed the maintenance vehicle and ignited a large fire on the tracks. It also damaged several nearby structures, including a church and a warehouse located about 500 feet away. The church sustained significant damage, with windows blown out and its roof briefly catching fire. Fire crews were able to quickly extinguish the flames. The warehouse’s doors were also blown open by the force of the explosion…