Propane BLAST Tears Apart NY Church

A rural New York church detonated in a fireball that engulfed its pastor, firefighters, and a congregant who moments earlier were trying to prevent the exact catastrophe that nearly killed them all.

Story Snapshot

Abundant Life Fellowship Church in Boonville exploded around 10:30 a.m. on February 17 after propane gas accumulated inside the building
Five people suffered injuries including the church’s pastor, a congregant, and the Boonville fire chief who entered to ventilate the structure
Two victims remain in critical condition at Wynn Hospital in Utica while three sustained non-life-threatening injuries
New York State Police confirmed no criminal activity and launched an investigation into the propane cylinder heating system
The explosion destroyed the upper half of the church, leaving charred remains and prompting Governor Kathy Hochul to deploy state emergency resources

When Doing the Right Thing Goes Catastrophically Wrong

Pastor Brandon and a church member detected the unmistakable stench of gas at Abundant Life Fellowship Church shortly after 10:23 a.m. They did everything by the book: called the propane company, summoned the Boonville Fire Department, and waited for professionals. The fire chief arrived within minutes and entered the State Route 12 building to assess the situation and begin ventilation procedures. Then the structure exploded with everyone still inside, transforming a textbook emergency response into a trauma scene that required mutual aid from four surrounding fire departments.

Propane’s Hidden Danger in Rural America

The church relied on propane cylinders for heat, a common solution in upstate New York’s rural communities where natural gas lines don’t reach. Propane is heavier than air, which means leaking gas settles in low areas and concentrates to explosive levels without adequate ventilation. Officials suspect the furnace activated while gas saturated the interior, providing the ignition source that turned the building into a bomb. Within fifteen minutes of the blast, flames and smoke consumed nearly the entire structure. Foggy weather conditions prevented helicopter evacuation, forcing ambulances to transport victims over rural roads to Utica, forty miles away.

The Toll on First Responders and Faith Leaders

The Boonville fire chief sustained critical injuries alongside Pastor Brandon, who suffered burns trying to protect his church. Three additional firefighters from the initial response team were injured as the explosion ripped through the building. MaeLeah, identified by the congregation as connected to Pastor Brandon, was also hurt in the blast. The church’s Facebook page immediately requested prayers with a message praising divine protection despite the devastation. Governor Hochul dispatched personnel from New York’s Fire, EMS, and Office of Emergency Management divisions while State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation officers secured the scene and began forensic analysis.

Rebuilding Faith After Catastrophic Loss

Abundant Life Fellowship Church now exists only as charred rubble along State Route 12, its upper structure obliterated and lower portions blackened beyond recognition. The congregation faces not just physical rebuilding but the psychological aftermath of nearly losing their pastor and watching their worship space disintegrate. State Route 12 remained closed as investigators documented propane cylinder placement and ventilation systems. The incident raises urgent questions about inspection standards for propane heating in older religious buildings across rural America, where congregations often operate with limited budgets and aging infrastructure. No timeline exists for when the pastor or fire chief will recover enough to discuss what they experienced in those final seconds before the explosion, though both families report stable conditions following the initial critical diagnoses.