BAGLEY, Minn. (trfnews.i234.me) – A report of an explosion and fire was made at a storage unit north of Bagley on 370th Street. The Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office responded around 12:30 p.m.
Preliminary indications are that a propane tank had been leaking inside the metal storage unit, which exploded after the man lit a cigarette. First responders say that man was also hurt but no word on his condition at this time.
The Minnesota State Fire Marshall’s Office was called to investigate the incident.
Five children were flown to a Twin Cities burn unit as a result of the explosion. A family member started a GoFundMe donation site, which has raised nearly $21,000 as of 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
According to the fundraiser, the boys are between the ages of 6 and 14-years-old and were in critical condition before being air-lifted to the burn unit. The surgeon informed the family that all of the boys will need surgery at some point in their recovery.
The burns range from 5% to 55% of their bodies, but they are stable as per a recent update on the fundraiser.
Chris Harper reporting for trfnews.i234.me