CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — Shawn Holliday has been working in the fire service for around 15 years, but he’s never encountered a propane fire.
“Thankfully, no I have not,” Holliday said. “But it can happen at any moment.”
He and several other firefighters from across the state participated in propane gas safety training on Saturday. The event was put on by West Virginia University Extension Fire Service and the West Virginia Propane Gas Association provides hands on training for both career and volunteer firefighters. Training director Mark Lambert is hoping more people in the field will take the initiative to learn.
“Our ultimate goal is to train as many firefighters as we can with regard to propane type emergencies so that we don’t have any more tragic accidents,” Lamb said.
In 2007, two firemen in Ghent were killed after a propane explosion occurred at a gas station and more recently, Virginia fireman Trevor Brown was killed in a 2024 explosion.
“A lot of the state’s people use propane whether it’s just for grills or even home heating and other things,” Lambert said. “So, these things are necessary, and I believe it’s really good training to be put on in the state right now.”
A survey conducted by Talker Research found that two thirds of Americans find summer grilling season to be their favorite time of year. Lambert said it’s important to be safe while firing up the grill no matter the season.
“Make sure you follow the instructions, you read the instructions, you read all the safety hazards and if you have any problems or anything that looks out of the ordinary contact the manufacturer or if it’s serious enough contact the local fire department they should be able to help you,” he said.
And while he hopes to never encounter a propane fire, Holliday said Saturday’s class has left him feeling more prepared.
“You always want to be prepared for anything you’re going to face out here,” he said. “You never know what you’re going to run into, so this training is very helpful.”
