Man severely burned in explosion at SLO homeless encampment

A homeless man was severely burned in an explosion early Tuesday when he attempted to transfer propane from a large container into a smaller one, also igniting a small grass fire that was quickly extinguished, officials said.

The fire began around 2 a.m. at a transient encampment behind Courtyard Marriott Hotel on Calle Joaquin, according to San Luis Obispo City Fire. The blaze scorched a 20-by-20-foot area.

Firefighters discovered the man with third-degree burns on roughly 50 percent of his body, SLO City Fire said.

First responders initiated treatment of the man and called for a second unit to help put out the fire, according to Deputy Fire Chief Kieth Aggson.

The man was initially transported to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center and then transferred to a burn center in Fresno in stable condition, Aggson said.

By the time the second unit arrived to the scene, the fire had been contained, Aggson said.

This story was originally published June 26, 2018 at 6:54 PM.