HILLSBORO — State investigators have revealed the cause of an explosion that killed three people at an auto repair shop in southern Ohio.
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News Center 7 first reported on the explosion at Jimbo’s Auto Repair in Hillsboro in November 2023.
Four people were reported in the building when it exploded. Three of them died in the explosion.
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In documents obtained by our news partners at WCPO, investigators stated, “The cause of the explosion is the 100-pound propane gas cylinder was overfilled with propane at Dance’s Steel and Farm Supply on November 28, 2023, (the same day as the deadly explosion) by Dance’s Steel and Farm Supply employee… around 1 - 1:30 p.m."
Investigators said it was overfilled on a cold day and then brought inside the auto repair shop. The warmer temperature inside the building caused the gas to expand.
The initial rupture released a dense cloud of propane vapor into the auto shop. It ignited when it came into contact with the open flame of a ceiling-mounted furnace, WCPO reported.
The report stated that the tank still had the transportation cap attached to it and was not hooked up or in use.
Investigators believe that the ruptured propane tank should never have been filled and noted it had a malfunctioning safety valve.
The report also states that the Dance’s Steel and Farm Supply employee filled four, 100-pound propane tanks for Jimbo’s owner. The other three were taken back to the owner’s personal property.
Videos from the owner showed the tanks “off-gassing.” WCPO reported that this continued over two weeks.
“Evidence discovered during the investigation was that [employee], nor Dance’s Steel and Farm Supply were tracking or measuring how much propane was being dispensed into each tank as a standard business practice, and in particular, the grey, 100-pound, ruptured propane cylinder in question,” the report stated.
The employee told investigators he “remembers everything about the day of the propane filling,” but denied filling them when asked.
“I didn’t fill em, because [sic] I’d remember,” the employee said in an April 2024 interview with investigators.
WCPO reported that investigators said they had to stop the same employee from filling propane tanks that were either expired or defective two days after the explosion.
Investigators wrote in the report that Hillsboro City Prosecutor Randalyn Worley and special counsel David Kelly said no criminal charges would be filed against the employee.
In a statement to WCPO, Hillsboro City Law Director, Randalyn Worley, said it was determined that “the elements of negligent homicide cannot be met through the evidence presented by the State Fire Marshal.”
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