Copper
theft blamed for house explosion
By TOM
ALEX
REGISTER
STAFF WRITER
August 29,
2007
A thief who stripped copper tubing from a propane tank is
blamed for a gas buildup and house explosion that
severely burned an 80-year-old Onawa man, authorities
said Wednesday.
Earl Thelander suffered third-degree burns over nearly
half his body in Tuesday’s blast. Investigators say
the gas buildup was linked to the disappearance of the
tubing, which has increasingly been the target of
so-called “urban miners” who hope to cash in
on the high price of certain scrap metals.
The thief who hit Thelander’s rural home
“maybe got $15 worth of copper,” Monona
County Sheriff Jeff Pratt said. “They cut the
propane line going to the furnace of the house in an
attempt to steal the copper.”
Pratt said Thelander discovered the theft Tuesday and
tried to air out the house, which he uses for rental
income. He went to the basement and plugged in a fan,
which investigators say likely sparked the explosion.
“It blew out one wall and bowed another one,”
Pratt said. “But Earl walked out of there.”
The thief got away with 25 to 40 feet of copper tubing.
Scrap metal prices have climbed in recent years due to
increased demand in countries such as India and China.
“This just totally bowled people over that someone
would do something menacing like this,”
Onawa’s mayor, Rebecca Tanner, said.
“It’s one thing to steal copper water pipes.
But to steal copper gas pipes is beyond comprehension.
This caused a tremendous explosion. Everyone knows how
dangerous gas can be.
“Everyone in town who knows about this is amazed,
startled and outraged.”
Thelander tried to use his cell phone to call for help
but it apparently was rendered inoperable in the blast.
“He drove himself back into town and to the
hospital,” Pratt said. “He is really a
remarkable guy.”
Thelander was later moved to an Omaha hospital with
specialized burn unit.
Pratt said there have been few relatively copper thefts
reported in Monona County.
“Counties to the south have had this
problem,” he said. “Now we’ve got it
— in a major way.”
Reader
Comment Posted
by:
jsnmlk on Thu Aug 30,
2007 4:11 am
According to NFPA
(National Fire Protection Association) propane can be ran
through copper tubing. One thing is propane is heavier
than air so it going to settle to the lowest point. His
best bet would have been to set the fan outside and vent
through a window out another window.
I hope when they catch this "entrepreneur(s)"(about as
bad as calling it "urban mining"), they charge them with
not only B&E but attempted murder, because taking the
copper could be considered gross negligence. If the
vicitm would pass way from his injuries (I hope he makes
a full recovery) it should be considered murder 1 because
it was premeidated.
Most scrap yards don't care
Posted by:
Matt on Thu Aug 30,
2007 12:01 am
I was selling some scrap copper a few weeks ago. I saw a
couple of rolls of brand new wire. It was the bare solid
copper wire we use for grounding electrical services to
ground rods and water mains. Nice and neat rolls of bare
copper wire. The theives just took the spools apart and
they were left with rolled up bare copper wire.
I pointed out to the yard that it was totally hot wire. I
knew you couldn't prove it. But they needed to point this
out to the cops.
I called a tropper I know and he told me which cop to
talk to. The yard remembered what town the scum was from.
I passed all of this on.
The cop later told me that they had the cops in the
scum's home town watching him as well.
I haven't heard anything - what I saw wouldn't do any
good in court anyway - but hopefully they'll get some of
the scum of of the street.
Reader Comment
Posted by:
hoopdwalawala on Wed Aug 29,
2007 7:09 pm
Fill the 'miner's' home with propane then hand him a full
crack pipe. That'll resolve him in very short time.
Reader Comment
Posted
by:
spiceycurry on Wed Aug 29,
2007 6:58 pm
Boy, that is acryin' shame. But what a tough Old Cat. I
hope he recovers.
Theft -not mining
Posted by:
cav-tanker on Wed Aug 29,
2007 5:14 pm
It would be nice if the Register would call it like it
is. It is not Urban Mining- it is Breaking and entering
along with larcency or theft. The term Urban Mining just
tries to justify the theft or criminal trespass.
Hope they can throw the book at this jerk. Better yet -
let him plug in the fan and then fry. You would never
want to be burned again if you have been severely burnt
before. It is a pain that doesn't go away unless it gets
to third degree.
Please start using the proper term instead of glorifying
the crooks.
Reader Comment
Posted
by:
JJCDAD on Wed Aug 29,
2007 4:20 pm
I think there needs to be something done to make it
harder for the crack heads to redeem scrap metal. Maybe
some kind of requirement that folks who want to get cash
for metal have to put down a sizeable deposit with the
scrap yard. That deposit could then be refunded once the
customer has demonstrated a history of legitimate
transactions.
FYI Posted
by:
fz1 on Wed Aug 29,
2007 3:22 pm
When you plug anything into an outlet there is a minute
amount of spark..............guessing he has figured that
out now!
Reader Comment Posted
by:
thor on Wed Aug 29,
2007 3:14 pm
I think they mean in a major way because now thieves are
moving from pipes that cause minor inconviences to now to
taking items that could possibly destroy a house. I'm
pretty sure you would be awfuly upset if someone did this
to you and then got charged with just petty theft.
There was another article just a couple weeks ago about
people stealing catylitic converters from cars and
selling then for around $30-$40, and then leaving the
victim to purchase a new one for a couple hundred.
Also, hopefully he has good insurance because you know
even if they catch the crack head who did this they won't
be able to get any money from him.
Reader Comment
Posted
by:
slycotton82 on Wed Aug 29,
2007 2:56 pm
3rd degree burns on half his body and he drove himself to
the hospital? That is one tough 80 year old man!
Reader Comment
Posted
by:
missm on Wed Aug 29,
2007 2:48 pm
...in a major way - I suspect they meant because of the
house explosion. That's pretty major.
Also, I'm pretty sure that it is against plumbing code to
run gas through copper lines. It is for natural gas
anyway, not so sure about propane.