An Ellsworth man died this week of injuries he sustained when propane leaked and exploded in a bus that had been converted into a recreational vehicle.

The Office of State Fire Marshal said on Thursday that it learned Bruce Spencer, 59, of Ellsworth, died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the Tuesday incident.

First responders were dispatched to 253 North St. in Ellsworth around 3 p.m. Tuesday for reports of the explosion, Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss said in an earlier news release.

The RV was supplied by two 25-pound propane cylinders, Moss said, and the explosion originated in a cabinet beneath the propane range. Investigators believe an electric compressor motor of a refrigerator ignited it, but could not identify the exact source of the propane leak.

Spencer, the sole occupant, sustained “serious burns,” Moss said, and was transported to Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital in Ellsworth.

Drew is the night reporter for the Portland Press Herald. He previously covered South Portland, Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth for the Sentry, Leader and Southern Forecaster. Though he is from Massachusetts,…
More by Drew Johnson