A forklift operator was seriously injured Monday in a propane tank explosion at a former industrial building owned by the Omaha Public Schools.
The man, an OPS employee, suffered burns and was rushed by ambulance to the Nebraska Medical Center. The explosion happened shortly before noon Monday at the former U.S. Mills Inc. complex at 4301 N. 30th St.
An automated fire detector alerted the Omaha Fire Department at 11:59 a.m. The call was upgraded to an explosion while crews were en route.
The Omaha Fire Department investigates after a forklift struck a propane tank and caused an explosion at 4301 N 30th St. on Monday. One person was seriously injured.
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When firefighters arrived at 12:03 p.m., they found the garage doors blown out and the propane bottle burning.
The explosion happened when the forklift operator pierced the propane bottle, Assistant Fire Marshal Joseph Caniglia said.
Caniglia said firefighters immediately tended to the man, and quickly doused the propane bottle and pulled it out of the building. The injured man’s name was being withheld. No other people were injured.
OPS spokeswoman Bridget Blevins said the district has been in contact with the family of the staff member who was injured.
“We care deeply about our staff and will continue to provide support as needed,” she said by email.
The explosion completely blew out three large metal garage doors and mangled four others.
The building, a former longtime breakfast cereal factory, is owned by OPS, but Blevins said it is no longer used as a school. She said it is used to store supplies, including curriculum materials, furniture and other equipment.
OPS bought the U.S. Mills building for $950,000 in 2000, according to Douglas County records. The district renovated it into temporary school spaces, which OPS used in the early 2000s for students from a succession of elementary schools while their main buildings were being renovated or replaced, including Rose Hill, Miller Park and Castelar.
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