One person was killed and two others critically injured in a Cache County house explosion Wednesday night. Multiple dogs were also injured in the explosion as the homeowners are professional breeders.
The explosion occurred at the home of the Mullin’s family in the 5600 block of North State Road 23 near Newton.
When fire units arrived at approximately 6 p.m., crews found one person outside the home, while a second was heard inside yelling for help. However, despite initial reports indicating there were three residents, a third person was not located.
A neighbor who saw the explosion told FOX 13 News that he smelled propane gas and heard cries for help from inside the structure. The neighbor said he could not get to the people inside, so he ran home to tell his wife to call 911.
It was not until midnight when fire rescue units located the third occupant, identified as John Mullin, who was inside the home at the time of the incident. The Cache County Sheriff’s Office said John Mullin died during the explosion.
The two other residents, Caryn and Joshua Mullin, were transported to area hospitals with multiple burns to their bodies.
Because the Mullins are licensed dog breeders, there were over 50 dogs on the property at the time of the explosion, including 16 inside the home. Five of the dogs were recovered in the home hours after the incident, with three currently in critical condition.
The uninjured dogs are being taken care of by family members.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.
A GoFundMe campaign for the family had raised $2,025 as of Sunday morning.