Snow on the roof, a broken propane line, and a furnace that kicked on

What happened

Around 10:25 a.m. on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, people at Abundant Life Fellowship church on Route 12 in Boonville, New York, smelled gas and called 911. The Boonville Fire Department responded.

According to New York State Police, heavy snow on the roof had made it slump, which damaged an outdoor propane fuel line, and gas filled the building. Three firefighters and the church’s pastor, Brandon Pitts, 43, were in the basement looking for the electrical panel to cut power. A fifth firefighter was upstairs trying to ventilate the building. Then the furnace turned on and triggered an explosion. The firefighter upstairs was thrown against a wall.

All five were hospitalized, several in critical condition at first, including the fire chief. Syracuse.com reported that Boonville had gotten 117 inches of snow since December 1. State Police called the damage “catastrophic” and said the church was destroyed. They found no sign of a crime.

What safety teams can take from it

• Smell gas? Get out first. Don’t hunt for switches or the source. Evacuate everyone, call 911 from outside, and keep people well back from the building.
• Know where your shutoffs are, before an emergency. Mark gas shutoffs, the electrical panel and the propane tank on your floor plan, and give that plan to your fire department.
• Snow load is a safety issue. Sagging rooflines, sticking doors and new cracks are warning signs. Have a plan for clearing snow, and know who to call to inspect the roof.
• Protect gas lines from the building. Ask your propane supplier to check how lines run near rooflines, eaves and places where snow and ice slide off.
• Install gas and CO detectors. Low-cost detectors in basements and furnace rooms give earlier warning, especially on weekdays when the building is mostly empty.