Tuesday, May 19, 2015

EXPLOSION DEBRIS FROM A BURN BARREL INJURES POLICE OFFICER IN SANDY VALLEY, NEVADA




MAY 18, 2015

SANDY VALLEY, NEVADA

A Las Vegas police officer was seriously burned on his face, neck and hands by exploding debris while on a call in Sandy Valley on Monday.

A civilian also suffered minor burns in what may be an accidental explosion, police said. First responders were sent in for medical support about 5:46 p.m., according to Clark County Fire Department dispatch logs.

The officer, whose name was not immediately released, was called to investigate an abandoned residence in the 2000 block of Woods Avenue in Sandy Valley, which is about 60 miles southwest of Las Vegas. When the home was cleared by the officer, people gathered up garbage from a previous tenant in a “burn barrel,” Metropolitan Police Department supervisor Lt. Dave Valenta said.

An unknown item or chemical in the barrel exploded, and the officer was the closest to it. He was taken in a helicopter to University Medical Center. His condition was not released.

Valenta said Metro’s hazardous materials ARMOR unit, as well the Las Vegas Fire Department bomb squad were investigating the incident to determine what caused the explosion.

Additional details were not immediately available.