PORT RICHEY, Fla. (WFLA) – A Pasco County dog breeder is hospitalized in critical condition after a generator at his Port Richey home exploded and killed more than a dozen dogs, according to Pasco County Fire Rescue.
Fire officials say the generator exploded inside the garage of the man’s home at 8705 Velvet Drive shortly before 7:15 p.m. Sunday. A neighbor’s house at 8711 also caught fire due to the explosion.
The generator exploded while the victim was adding more fuel. Officials say the force of the explosion blew off the garage door and shattered windows in the home.
Fire crews found the man on the front lawn severely burned.
The victim’s family told News Channel 8 that he will have surgery Tuesday morning.
Investigators say both homes were without electricity and the residents were sharing power from the generator. A cord running between the two homes allowed the neighbors to gain access to the power.
“The garage door was closed and we could tell by the damage it was blown out in the explosion, so it wasn’t well ventilated at all,” Shawn Whited, the Pasco County Fire Rescue division chief, said.
Whited says having good ventilation is one detail that shouldn’t be overlooked.
On Monday morning, investigators revealed that improper fueling of the generator was the cause of the explosion.
“There’s no code violation. There’s no rule saying you have to have power in your house. You can live like that if you’d like to, lots of people do. Unfortunately, if you’re going to run a generator in your house you got to make sure you’re being careful with it,” Whited said.
Officials say the victim is in his 40’s and more than 40 percent of his body was burned. He was airlifted to a trauma center.
A dozen dogs, mostly Chihuahuas, found in cages and around the inside of the home were killed in the fire. Crews were able to rescue two dogs.
Investigators say the victim was a dog breeder but relatives disputed the claim and told News Channel 8 that he wasn’t breeding the dogs.
Two adults and two small children escaped without injury from the home next door. Fire crews were only able to rescue one of the two dogs in that home. Officials say the other dog died in the fire.
Both homes were being rented and are now uninhabitable.
The Red Cross is now helping the family at 8711 Velvet Drive.
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