WAUSEON HOME EXPLOSION
Homeowner was cutting propane tank
6/25/2014WAUSEON — Evidence indicates an explosion that seriously injured a Wauseon man at his home Monday occurred when he was cutting a propane tank, authorities said Tuesday.
Eric Dominique, who is in his mid 60s, was listed Tuesday in serious condition at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, where he was flown Monday following the blast at the historic George S. Clement House, 137 Clinton St.
Four other people suffered minor injuries, including two grandchildren, who were taken to Fulton County Health Center, Wauseon, for observation, plus his wife and a family friend.
Evidence recovered at the scene suggests Mr. Dominique was cutting the tank in his basement when it blew up, Wauseon Police Chief Keith Torbet said in a statement issued Tuesday.
The house, built in 1872 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, sustained significant damage from the blast. The house’s foundation cracked, windows blew out from their frames, and a porch roof collapsed.
“It is one of the most historic houses in Wauseon ... a really excellent example of the Italianate style of architecture,” said Ted Ligibel, director of the Historic Preservation Program at Eastern Michigan University. “When I wrote the [national register] nomination, it was considered one of the best examples in northern Ohio of that style.”
A neighboring Masonic lodge also was damaged by the explosion’s shock wave. The blast remained under investigation Tuesday by the state fire marshal’s office.
Contact Stephen Gruber-Miller at: smiller@theblade.com, 419-724-6050, or on Twitter @sgrubermiller.