Gas explosion levels Meyers KOA Campground cabin

MEYERS - A KOA Campground cabin was demolished in an explosion Sunday that injured a Bay Area woman and sent debris soaring 50 feet from its foundation.

Built last summer, the structure was a heap of rubble after the 9:30 a.m. blast.

"It didn't even burn. The roof flew 20 feet in the air," Jennifer Mercado said Sunday. Visibly shaken, she decided to check out of the cabin she had rented a day early and go home to Marin. Her cabin - one of four occupied for the weekend- was about 100 feet from the one that exploded.

Her friend Careana Clay - who was out on the deck of the cabin at the time of the blast - was slammed against the wall. She was transported to Barton Memorial Hospital complaining of neck pain.

Lake Valley Assistant Fire Chief Curt Warren surveyed the damage, estimated between $70,000 and $100,000. He pointed to a gas leak caused by a cracked pipe and valve at the meter as the apparent culprit. Apparently, snow came off the roof, forming an ice cave around the meter, which broke the seal.

Gas seeped into the structure, and the explosion was triggered by an ignition-based source, perhaps the hot water heater turning on. The blast is under investigation.

"We've had several instances this winter where snow has come off the roof, or meters haven't been cleared," Warren said. "This is why we stress to the homeowners to keep the snow clear."

KOA Campground owner Lisa McKinnon said nothing like this has ever happened on her property, "and I've been here 26 years," she said.

According to Mercado, she contacted KOA management about a gas smell on Saturday.

McKinnon said she "smelled it, and nothing was abnormal."

She added she checked the cabin and found nothing wrong.

At the outset of the explosion, she thought Caltrans was conducting avalanche controls.

"I was on my way to church," she said.

Susan Wood can be reached at (530) 542-8009 or via e-mail at swood@tahoedailytribune.com.

Fire officials and meter readers strongly advise that property owners clear snow and ice from gas meters. Contractors suggest snow should be removed from roofs.