Wentzville, MO. – Christmas preparations took a dangerous turn Saturday afternoon. One Wentzville family said hot cooking utensils sparked a fire and an explosion sending one person to the hospital. The freak accident put the family's holiday plans on hold.
The Wentzville Fire and Police Departments were on scene. The Missouri State Fire Marshall eventually took over the investigation.
“We were going to have a big Christmas party on Christmas day,” said the homeowner, David Shafer. “Obviously, that's not going to happen now."
The Shafer family said Saturday afternoon they were putting the finishing touches on their Crème Brulee dessert, melting the sugar that forms the crispy top. Every year, they host people on Christmas Day.
“I'm watching Netflix and then I hear this huge bang and then, of course, I ran to see the source of the explosion,” Shafer said.
David Shafer has owned his home for 13 years. He said he believes the torch that was used for the Crème Brulee was accidentally put in a cardboard box, while the nozzle was still hot.
“I see my wife, who is trying to extinguish the fire, and then, at that point, I see to my horror that it's one of these butane cartridges that was the source of the fire and the explosion,” said Shafer. The result turned out to be a dangerous explosion.
"It blew out the windows, as you can see and the door and it pushed this side out,” Shafer explained.
Shafer was in the house with his wife, stepson and his stepson's fiancée. His stepson's fiancée was taken to the ER with minor injuries. Shafer said he knows his house will be fixed, but he worries about his family.
"We'll get through it, but it's tough when this happened especially this time of year,” he said.
