NEWS RELEASE

A Tualatin man was injured Saturday afternoon when the industrial cleaning fluid he was using in his condominium's bathroom ignited and exploded. Del Loose, 28, the condo owner was transported to Emmanuel Hospital suffering from first- and second-degree burns over 20-percent of his body.

A roommate, Jessica Landon, 28, told fire investigators that Loose was using a highly flammable industrial aerosol cleaner to clean a fuel-powered, remote-controlled toy truck in the bathtub when the aerosol apparently ignited and produced a low-level explosion and fire. Landon reported that Loose ran from the fire area, jumped from the first floor condo porch and dove into a swimming pool a few yards away.

Five units from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue were dispatched to the Tualatin Greens Condominiums at 8720 SW Tualatin Road at 1:12 p.m. The first arriving engine unit found the owner of the condo outside the building suffering from burns to his face, arms and legs. Firefighters found fire and heavy smoke in the apartment. They extinguished the blaze within a few minutes, but spent over an hour ventilating smoke from the three-story complex. The door to the bathroom where Loose was working had been blown from its frame. Damage estimate is placed at $40,000.

Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue reminds you to read the instructions for all types of cleaners and cleaning solvents, observe the warnings on the labels and use them only in well-ventilated areas.

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