Blast injures at least a dozen

An explosion at a recreational lodge in western Colorado injured more than a dozen people, some severely, Saturday afternoon, the Delta County Sheriff's Department said.

Sheriff Fred McKee said a county investigator believes the blast at the Electric Mountain Lodge near Paonia was caused by a propane problem.

There were no reports of deaths, but 12 to 15 people, whose injuries range from minor to "very severe," will be taken by flight-for-life helicopter from the scene, McKee said. The helicopters flew in from Durango and Grand Junction.

"We're starting to get patients now, but I can't tell you how many we're expecting – a bunch," Tom Mingen, administrator for Delta County Memorial Hospital, told CBS4 News.

"Electric Mountain Lodge is probably in the most remote part of our county. About 20 miles north of Paonia and 17 miles in by snowmobile.

"There are a ton of people heading in to there to try to help, but that's all I can tell," he said.

Six patients were flown to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, said Miranda Ellinwood, a public relations and marketing assistant for the hospital. "There are no conditions or stats as of right now. All we know is which patients we are getting, and not very much advance notice of that."

County authorities were also using snow machines to ferry emergency medical technicians to a lodge north of Paonia.

More Than A Dozen Injured In Mountainside Explosion

Flight For Life Copters Called In To Reach Remote Retreat

Mar 19, 2005 6:02 pm US/Mountain

PAONIA, Colo. (CBS4) An explosion at a vacation retreat in the Gunnison National Forest injured more than a dozen people Saturday afternoon, Delta County Sheriff's officials said.

At 2:28 p.m. sheriff's officials received word of an explosion at the Electric Mountain Lodge, a vacation retreat catering to fishermen, snowmobile enthusiasts and cross-country skiers.

Sheriff Fred McKee said a county investigator believes the blast at the lodge near Paonia (60 miles south of Interstate 70 and 45 miles east of State Highway 789) in western Colorado, was caused by a propane problem.

"We're starting to get patients now, but I can't tell you how many we're expecting – a bunch," said Tom Mingen, administrator for Delta County Memorial Hospital. "Electric Mountain Lodge is probably in the most remote part of our county. About 20 miles north of Paonia and 17 miles in by snowmobile.

"There are a ton of people heading in to there to try to help, but that's all I can tell," he said.

Flight for Life crews are heading from Durango and Grand Junction and rescue crews are also going up via snowmobiles to assist. There were no reports of deaths, but 12 to 15 people, whose injuries range from minor to "very severe" will be taken by flight-for-life helicopter from the scene, McKee said.

"Six patients have been Care-flighted to St. Mary's [in Grand Junction]," said Miranda Ellinwood, PR and Marketing assistant for the hospital. "There are no conditions or stats as of right now.

All we know is which patients we are getting, and not very much advance notice of that."

The lodge, at 9,200 feet, is accessible only by a road that is 12-15 miles and not maintained during the winter. Snow mobiles are virtually the only way to reach the lodge.

According to McKee, there is a restaurant at the lodge used extensively during the winter. During the summer months the lodge is used for hunting. The lodge was still on fire as of 7 p.m., he said, adding search and rescue personnel will continue to scour the scene and make sure that everyone is accounted for.

Crews are working with the lodge to compile a list of everyone at the scene, including those who walked away from the blast and those taken by emergency workers.

The Red Cross is helping out by setting up a staging area at Paonia high school.

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