Three people were injured this afternoon when a house exploded in Wauseon.

The incident happened when a propane tank exploded in the basement of the home at 137 Clinton Street at about 4:39 p.m., Wauseon Police Chief Keith Torbet said.

The man who owns the home was in the basement at the time and suffered the most serious injuries, the chief said. The man was taken by helicopter to a hospital. Information on his condition was unavailable this evening.

PHOTO GALLERY: Click here for more photos from the scene

“That‘‍s the reason for his serious burns,” the chief said. Four other people in the home at the time suffered lesser injuries, Chief Torbet said.

Two children who were in the home at the time of the explosion were taken to by ambulance to Fulton Medical Center to be checked out, Chief Torbet said. Two adults who were in the home refused medical care, he said.

Representatives from Ohio Gas inspected the damage and said the explosion was not the result of a gas leak, the chief said. 

Police on the scene were waiting this evening for a fire marshal to inspect the home. The house was seriously damaged in the explosion. One neighboring structure, a Masonic lodge, suffered slight damage in the blast, mostly from debris.

First Published June 23, 2014, 10:37 p.m.