Storage Container Explodes, Injures 2 In Millersville: Officials

MILLERSVILLE, MD — County officials announced that a storage container exploded Wednesday in Millersville. The ensuing fire injured two people, authorities said.

Investigators said the explosion happened around 9:02 a.m. in a commercial parking lot in the 1500 block of Jabez Run.

A man in his 30s started a piece of heavy equipment inside the metal container about one minute after opening its doors, a press release said.

There was a leaking propane tank inside the storage unit, however. The release said this caused the accidental explosion when the equipment started.

The man inside suffered life-threatening injuries, officials said. Medics took him to the burn unit at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore.

Authorities said a second male sustained minor burns when he tried to save the first victim.

First responders found the container contents on fire and helped the victims. A team of 47 controlled the one-alarm blaze in about 20 minutes, the release said.

The Anne Arundel County Fire Department thanked the Annapolis Fire Department and Fort Meade Fire and Emergency Services for assisting its response. The Anne Arundel County Police Department and the Maryland Department of the Environment were also on the scene.

Investigators did not estimate the value of the property damaged in the flames.

Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County news.