NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) – Firefighters in Nicholasville responded to an explosion at Car Town Kia Wednesday.
The explosion happened in the garage portion of the dealership.
An employee says that a mechanic was trying to open a 55-gallon drum containing some methanol. The chemical interacted with an open flame and exploded. The fire marshall said that the flame was not from a cigarette.
Two people were sent to the hospital with severe burns. One of them had second to third-degree burns.
“To prevent what happened here today, you cannot have an open flame near flammable gases. And that’s just a very common safety concern that people should have when they’re around the shop,” said Nicholasville Fire Marshal David Johns.
A fire that started immediately after the explosion has been extinguished.
We are told the methanol was used for windshield wiper fluid.
