Propane tanks seldom detonate themselves , except in 110+ in the shade temperatures. Not your average Lubbock temperatures for mid October.
More info from another news outlet (one part is not for the sensitive):
Explosion And Fire
By: Dave Walker (edited for the web by James Clark)
Police and EMS have been called to Broadway and Zenith. Updated 11:13 am for photograph.
Police and EMS were called to the intersection of Broadway St. and Teak Ave. It's about one block east of Broadway and MLK so expect traffic delays at that major intersection. Either a fuel tank or a fuel truck exploded. At least two people have been injured. We do not have their names nor do we have their conditions.
This happened at Harmon Tank Company at about 9:30 am. The company repairs cargo tanks. The company's main building was damaged along with two other buildings and at least one vehicle.
Broken glass has been scattered as far as one block away. Eyewitnesses indicate one man was blown through a building wall in this explosion. When we first arrived at the scene there was a smell of petroleum. By 10:30 that smell was gone.
One man was injured indirectly by the explosion. He was in a nearby funeral home when the explosion caused a chandelier to fall and strike his head.
At approximately 10:45 we recieved the following information from Lubbock ISD.
"Some parents have called LISD schools concerned about the status of the schools in the area of the explosion this morning. Our schools are fine and children are safe. Classes are continuing as usual. LISD Police are monitoring the situation." The LISD statement repeats the line, "children are safe."
The final sentence of the urgent alert from LISD says, "The building that formerly housed Posey Elementary and is closest to the area of the explosion is no longer a school."