A faulty backyard barbeque at a residence in the 26700 block of Baronet in Mission Viejo caused an explosion badly injuring three Mission Viejo residents, according to a recent article in The Orange County Register.

Ken Kelly, 50, was barbequing in his backyard with his family close-by when the propane tank connected to the grill exploded. The powerful blast shook neighborhood houses, set off car alarms and destroyed the Kelly family’s backyard. The five-gallon propane tank had reportedly leaked and ignited causing second-degree burns to Ken, burning his daughter Meghan Kelly, 11, and bruising his 78-year old father. The injured are now said to be recovering.

I wish the Kelly family a complete recovery and I’m very thankful the injuries and damages from this explosion were not worse. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimated in a 2001U.S. Fire Administration Report that about 150 injuries and 5 deaths occur each year from mostly residential grill fires. Also, each year fire service responds to 6500 grill fires accounting for approximately $28 million in property loss. The NFPA found that “mechanical failure or malfunction is by far the leading ignition factor for grill fires.”

The Kelly family should speak to a product defect law firm specializing in burn injury cases and fire cause and origin cases. If the family wishes to evaluate their options in a defective product claim for their injuries and loss, they must have the backyard; the damaged grill the propane tank and the area around were the explosion occurred immediately examined and photographed as evidence by experts assigned by their attorneys.

My suspicion is that there was a defect either in the propane tank itself or in the connections between the tank and the barbecue grill. If my suspicions are correct, the manufacturer and seller of the tank, as well as whoever supplied propane to the tank last could be legally on the hook for all the injuries and damages caused by the defective barbeque propane tank blowing up.

Please visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission site for more information on grilling safety.