Two Massachusetts women have died from severe burns after their camper exploded on Saturday at Old Orchard Beach’s Powder Horn Family Camping Resort.
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The Old Orchard Beach Fire Department responded to the Powder Horn campground located at 48 Cascade Road at around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday after reports that a camper had exploded.
When the fire department and emergency medical services arrived, they discovered two women, the 58-year-old Alesia Ventura-Large of Marlborough, Massachusetts and 58-year-old Nancy Pilsch of Leominster, Massachusetts, suffering from severe burns.
According to Fire Marshal Shawn Esler, the two women were conscious when emergency services arrived, and claimed that they smelled a strong garlic odor prior to the explosion.
They told first responders that they opened all their windows and doors before attempting to light a candle, which officials believe caused the explosion.
Firemen saw that one of the burners on the campers stove had been turned to the on position at the time of the explosion.
According to a press release, gas had been leaking both into and underneath the camper.
The two women were transported to the Maine Medical Center in Portland, where they sadly succumbed to their injuries and died on Sunday.
The State Fire Marshal is continuing to investigate the cause of the gas leak.
