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Gas explosion at Maine campground kills 2 Mass. women
The State Fire Marshal said more testing needs to be done to confirm the source of a propane leak that caused a camper to explode in Old Orchard Beach Saturday.
Two women from Massachusetts were severely burned and later died.
Alesia Ventura-Large, 58, of Marlborough and 57-year-old Nancy Pilsch of Leominster were able to tell first responders they had smelled a garlicky odor in the camper and lit a candle to address the smell. Officials say that triggered the explosion.
Fire Marshal Shawn Esler said there was a burner left on the stove in the camper but pressure testing on the propane system will rule out a failure.
"We will do that in conjunction with the Maine Fuel Board and the insurance company to rule out one or the other," Esler said.
Esler said anyone who uses propane or natural gas for a camper or an appliance in their home should have a gas detector and get out of any structure that has a strange smell and call 911.
Ventura-Large owned the camper at the Powder Horn Campground with a family member. It was parked there seasonally.
This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by Maine Public.