Propane Tank Explodes at Coachella McDonald’s

A man was badly burned Saturday when a propane tank in the back of a truck exploded at a McDonald’s in Coachella.

It happened around 1:45 p.m. in the drive-thru of the restaurant near the intersection of Avenue 48 and Jackson.

The 100+ degree temperatures caused pressure to build up inside one of the tanks.

As a fail safe, to prevent too much pressure from building up, the tank began releasing gas.

“When the driver of the vehicle exited to try to secure the leak by turning the valve, static electricity completed and the ignition of the fire and explosion was caused by that,” according to firefighter Justin McGough.

Click here for a slideshow of pictures sent in moments after the explosion.

Two children inside the truck who were pulled to safety and escaped unharmed.

The driver was taken to JFK Memorial Hospital for burns. No word on his condition.

The fire took about twenty minutes for crews to put out.

More than a dozen people inside the McDonald’s evacuated the building as a precaution. None of them were hurt.

The flames caused only minor damage to the fast food joint, which reopened later in the afternoon.

McGough offered this warning to people: “Be very very careful when you deal with liquid propane and how you’re going to transport it especially like on hot days like this.”