By CONNOR HOLMES
published in the Cape Coral Daily Breeze 7/23/09
State fire investigators said they believe that the explosion of a fumigation device in a Cape Coral home Tuesday may have been caused by misuse of the device, and that the blast may have been sparked by a nearby dishwasher.
The homeowners worry a faulty bug bomb could have been the cause instead.
Laurie Grabowski was fumigating her home on Bolado Parkway for bugs at 10:43 a.m. when the device exploded.
The blast caused first-degree burns to Grabowski's legs, blew out a window of the home and caused other damages, her family said.
Grabowski is recovering from massive blistering and the possibility of infection, among other issues caused by her injuries.
State Fire Marshal Lt. Joe Minervini said Wednesday afternoon that the propellant from the device is flammable, and likely ignited due to sparks from an electric motor in a nearby dishwasher.
Placing the device under the sink, he said, went against the directions listed on the product's box.
"We think the person set the bug bomb under the sink against the directions of that," Minervini said.
Grabowski's husband, Joe, said the dishwasher theory does not add up to him and his family because it was not running when the explosion occurred.
"It's easy to blame it on the dishwasher, but you might be sweeping the real problem under the rug," he said.
The device itself did not explode, Joe Grabowski said. It was only the expelled chemicals which ignited.
He said the family spoke with a representative of the Cape Coral Fire Department for several hours Wednesday to try to clear up the facts about the incident.
Fire department representatives could not be reached Wednesday night for comment.
The Grabowskis have spoken with a lawyer and with their insurance adjuster regarding the incident. They await the results of an independent lab test on the can.
"We have no idea what made that thing explode," Joe Grabowski said. "I guess everyone's a bit baffled."
Instructions on the product's box suggest not to place the device in a cabinet or under a counter or table. The instructions suggest the device is to be used on a chair, table or stand in the center of an open room.
The Grabowskis said they did not read all of the instructions before using the product, but used it in the manner they had for years without incident.
It had been placed on a low ledge beneath the kitchen sink, away from the dishwasher with the cabinet doors open, Joe Grabowski said.
"It's one of those things that's like one in a million," he said.
Showing posts with label explosion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label explosion. Show all posts
Friday, July 24, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Woman injured by bug bomb when it explodes in kitchen; Officials investigating
By CONNOR HOLMES
published in the Cape Coral Daily Breeze 7/22/09
Laurie Grabowski received first-degree burns on her legs Tuesday after a bug bomb exploded in her Cape Coral home. Officials continue to investigate the blast’s cause.
*photo copyright the Cape Coral Daily Breeze.
----
A bug bomb about the size of a fist transformed into what seemed like a real bomb Tuesday morning, injuring a Cape Coral woman and damaging her home in a blast.
Laurie Grabowski received first-degree burns on her legs, now wrapped in hospital gauze, but will recover from her injuries.
As the State Fire Marshal and Cape Coral Fire Department continue to investigate the incident, the Grabowski family wonders how this happened.
Laurie's husband, Joe Grabowski, said the family has used the fumigation devices for about eight years without incident.
"I never, ever thought they could do that kind of damage," he said. "When they called me on the phone I didn't believe them. I thought they were just overreacting. When you look at the size of the damage, and I figure she was standing right there when it went off, I think she's real fortunate that it wasn't more serious than what she's got."
The family had recently returned from vacation and was fumigating for insects at their Balado Parkway home.
Grabowski had placed the bug bomb on a shelf under the kitchen sink for about 10 seconds when an explosion hit her, shattering a window, cracking two others, knocking a sliding glass door off its track and unhinging a dishwasher.
The blast happened at about 10:43 a.m.
"I was leaned over to close the dishwasher ... and it exploded," she said. "It pushed me back into the oven and the side of the cabinets. There were sparks underneath the sink. It felt like I was on fire."
Her 17-year-old son, Nick, sprang from the nearby living room couch and dragged Grabowski to the shower with the help of his sister, Jamie. He then called 911.
Garrett, 21, also Grabowski's son, drove his mother to the hospital where she was treated and released.
"It's a miracle," she said. "I should have been burned, with a lot more damage, for what it did all around."
As the family counts its blessings Tuesday evening, it also remains befogged as to the cause of the blast.
The dishwasher, which investigators said Tuesday may have been the source of the explosion, was not running, said Joe Grabowski.
Officials continue to investigate.
published in the Cape Coral Daily Breeze 7/22/09
Laurie Grabowski received first-degree burns on her legs Tuesday after a bug bomb exploded in her Cape Coral home. Officials continue to investigate the blast’s cause.
*photo copyright the Cape Coral Daily Breeze.
----
A bug bomb about the size of a fist transformed into what seemed like a real bomb Tuesday morning, injuring a Cape Coral woman and damaging her home in a blast.
Laurie Grabowski received first-degree burns on her legs, now wrapped in hospital gauze, but will recover from her injuries.
As the State Fire Marshal and Cape Coral Fire Department continue to investigate the incident, the Grabowski family wonders how this happened.
Laurie's husband, Joe Grabowski, said the family has used the fumigation devices for about eight years without incident.
"I never, ever thought they could do that kind of damage," he said. "When they called me on the phone I didn't believe them. I thought they were just overreacting. When you look at the size of the damage, and I figure she was standing right there when it went off, I think she's real fortunate that it wasn't more serious than what she's got."
The family had recently returned from vacation and was fumigating for insects at their Balado Parkway home.
Grabowski had placed the bug bomb on a shelf under the kitchen sink for about 10 seconds when an explosion hit her, shattering a window, cracking two others, knocking a sliding glass door off its track and unhinging a dishwasher.
The blast happened at about 10:43 a.m.
"I was leaned over to close the dishwasher ... and it exploded," she said. "It pushed me back into the oven and the side of the cabinets. There were sparks underneath the sink. It felt like I was on fire."
Her 17-year-old son, Nick, sprang from the nearby living room couch and dragged Grabowski to the shower with the help of his sister, Jamie. He then called 911.
Garrett, 21, also Grabowski's son, drove his mother to the hospital where she was treated and released.
"It's a miracle," she said. "I should have been burned, with a lot more damage, for what it did all around."
As the family counts its blessings Tuesday evening, it also remains befogged as to the cause of the blast.
The dishwasher, which investigators said Tuesday may have been the source of the explosion, was not running, said Joe Grabowski.
Officials continue to investigate.
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