Feb. 9, 2018—The owner of Lakeside Autowerks, an Indiana-based automotive repair shop, was injured Thursday morning after an explosion, the News Dispatch reports.
The owner was welding in the back of the building when a nearby 50-gallon oil drum somehow ignited and exploded, according to the Michigan City Fire Department.
The man suffered burns on his hands and arms and was transported to Franciscan Health in Michigan City. According to Mike Lusco, of the Coolspring Township Volunteer Fire Department, the man was “conscious, alert and walking around” prior to being transported. Lusco said the business owner was “very lucky” to escape with the injuries he had.
Firefighters surmised that the oil drum exploded most likely because sparks from the welding ignited some other flammable source, which then ignited the drum.