Two men were transported by air ambulance to a Toronto trauma centre in life-threatening condition after a house explosion northwest of Uxbridge on Oct. 8. - Sabrina Byrnes/Torstar
UXBRIDGE – Two men are in critical condition after an explosion at a Zephyr home Tuesday night.
Police, fire and ambulance all responded to the blast at 12869 Regional Road 39 around 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 8.
“There was a brief fire but the explosion was the more significant piece,” said Uxbridge Fire Chief Phil Alexander.
The explosion occurred while some work was being done on the home’s furnace unit, and both the homeowner and the furnace technician suffered severe burns in the blast. They were transported to Uxbridge Cottage Hospital and then on to a Toronto trauma centre, where they remain in critical condition.
“Our investigators, together with the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office, the Ministry of Labour and the Technical Standards and Safety Authority are investigating,” said Alexander. “There’s no more information about how the fire started or the explosion happened.”
While there is significant structural damage to the property, no surrounding properties were affected by the explosion.
“The residents on each side were evacuated briefly but were back in their homes last evening,” Alexander said. “There’s no damage to any other properties, and the fire was extinguished very quickly.”
Both Uxbridge and the East Gwillimbury Fire Departments responded to the scene.
Link to original article on Durham Region.com: UPDATE: Two men in critical condition after explosion at Zephyr home