Woman and 12-year-old son burned from propane explosion in cabin

On Sunday at approximately 10:43 am, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a cabin on fire caused by a propane tank explosion. The incident took place on the 11600 block of Countryside Lane in Balkan Township, which is north of Chisholm.

Investigation revealed that a 20 lb propane tank had been attached to a heater inside the cabin and was being used to heat the cabin. According to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, the propane tank exploded while a woman, 37, and her son, 12, were inside the cabin.

Both the woman and her son received burns over large portions of their bodies but were able to walk to a nearby neighbor and wait for help to arrive. Due to the severity of the burns, both the mother and son were transported by ambulance to the Hibbing Hospital.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and the State Fire Marshal Office. Names of the involved parties are being withheld pending notification of family.

The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Chisholm Fire Department, Chisholm Ambulance service, Hibbing Ambulance service, Hibbing Fire Department and Buhl Fire Department.