A major explosion - possibly of a forklift propane tank - startled the community, seriously injured Greg Lee, 50, and destroyed a commercial building in Gaylordsville.

"Witness accounts are that the 30 pound (13.5kg) cylinder on the forklift may have been leaking," says fire marshal Karen A Facey. "The insurance companies' engineers are sending the (building's) propane heating system and the three 30 pound cylinders in the building out for full forensic analysis. Those results will provide us with a much better assessment of what happened and if the forklift tank was the cause of the propane build up within the industrial unit."

Due to Lee's injuries, "I have not yet been able to interview the business owner," Facey notes. "Until we are able to do so, we will have little additional information beyond pure speculation as to what was leaking. At this time, it may be the heating system or a propane cylinder."

Facey is fire marshal for the town of New Milford with responsibility for Gaylordsville.

Police report that Lee pushed a button to open the garage door to access his leased welding and construction equipment repair shop about 7:53 am on 1 April, and the electrical action apparently sparked the explosion which was heard for miles. Lee suffered second-degree burns on his face, chest and arms and remains in Bridgeport Hospital's burn unit.