Van Fire Sparks Blast; Three People Injured

A carpet-cleaning van caught fire in front of a Huntington Beach apartment building Monday, causing an explosion that injured three people.

Battalion Chief Frank Mead, a spokesman for the Huntington Beach Fire Department, said the explosion occurred about 2 p.m. when the fire ignited a propane tank inside the van as the carpet cleaners worked in the 5100 block of Heil Avenue.

One resident and two carpet cleaners were taken to hospitals with first- and second-degree burns to their faces, arms and legs, according to Mead. None of the injuries, he said, was life-threatening.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.