CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — A car was mangled and its windows were blown out after an aerosol can and cigarette led to an explosion inside.
It happened along Highway 18 in Caldwell County, where two people were rushed to the hospital after the blast.
Firefighters tell us two of the people had first and second-degree burns.
The car ended up in the parking lot of a convenience store Thursday. Right next door, is the Gamewell Fire Department where they heard the blast.
The owners of Gamewell Superette shared video of the moments after the explosion as the driver managed to pull into their parking lot. One man worked to free himself from the damaged vehicle. The owner of the store spoke with Channel 9’s Dave Faherty on Monday.
“I thought it was a car accident,” the owner said. “We ran outside and then called 911.”
But firefighters say the damage was not from a car accident. Instead a can of compressed air had been sprayed inside the vehicle with the windows up. They believe it ignited when someone tried to light a cigarette. Family members say a child had been spraying the aerosol to clean the vehicle and that the windows were up because it was so hot.
Ricardo Leon, a restaurant owner, heard the blast.
“I think that it was very dangerous and that the car was gonna explode because they were screaming,” Leon said. “They were crying, so I was worried about it.”
Both Lenoir and Gamewell Fire responded to the explosion. Firefighters say aerosol cans are typically used to clean computers.
“Any kind of compressed gas. Pay attention to the manufactures instructions as far as them being flammable,” said Gamewell Fire Chief Michael Brewer. “Whenever there’s the right mixture in the atmosphere, an explosion is possible.”
The chief says especially in a confined area like the inside of a car.
One man who lives nearby told us the blast was loud enough it sounded like a car hit his home.