UTAH COUNTY — A man is in critical condition with major burns to his body after an explosion inside a shipping container.
Saturday around 10 a.m., police received a call reporting an explosion in the far southwest corner of Utah County.
The Utah County Sheriff's Office said there were several different flammable fuels in the shipping container, located on private property along Hancock Ranch Road. The victim apparently walked in and lit a propane heater on the far side of the container, then walked back toward the entrance. The vapors inside then ignited and exploded right as he reached the edge of the container.
Members of local fire departments responded, along with sheriff's deputies and a medical helicopter. The man was airlifted to the University of Utah Hospital's burn unit.
Officials said the man suffered second-degree burns on 35 percent of his body and less-severe burns to the rest of his body. He also suffered a critical injury to his right hand, which was nearly severed. Between the burns and other injuries, he is considered to be in life-threatening condition.
The victim's name has not been released, but authorities said he is a 49-year-old man from Taylorsville.
Photos and videos from the scene show one shipping container blown apart, and another one adjacent to it that was heavily burned.
Contents of the containers were destroyed and at least one ATV parked nearby was destroyed by the fire.
Just one day before this incident, two workers were injured in an explosion at the Salt Lake City International Airport.
