Man airlifted with burns covering 80% of his body after propane explosion at Olympia marina

An explosion at an Olympia marina Sunday afternoon damaged several boats and sent one person to the hospital. Investigators are looking into the cause of the explosion after the victim was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Firefighters with the Olympia Fire Department tweeted at 7:48 p.m. Sunday that they were called to the West Bay Marina, located in the 2100 block of West Bay Drive Northwest.

KIRO Newsradio Headlines: Three boats and marina catch fire on Lake Washington

One man in his 60s was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center with 2nd-degree burns on 80% of his body, but was in a stable condition.

We are grateful for our partners in this boat explosion response. Thank you @OlyPD for traffic control and clearing a nearby park for @AirliftNW to have quicker access to our patient.

Still no additional details are available at this time. pic.twitter.com/T6RSrK745J

— Olympia Fire Dept. (@OlyFireDept) October 3, 2022

The boat where the explosion originated was totaled. Several boats in the surrounding area were also impacted, with an estimated $50,000 worth of damages.

Russell Hermann, a battalion chief with Olympia Fire Department, said calls came in just before sundown when witnesses reported a loud explosion — some hearing it even from across the bay.

“[It] blew the top half of that boat off and it actually did damage the adjacent boats,” Hermann said.

According to OFD, the man was likely cooking with propane on the boat when the gas caught fire. He was last known to be in serious but stable condition. Fire officials warned the public to check for leaks when using gas.

The fire was reportedly started by a propane cooking fire that exploded, with investigators still working to determine why.

Sam Campbell contributed to this report