WILMINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – An accident while ice fishing left two girls and their father with severe burns, but it’s not clear what sparked it.
What was meant to be a fun day on the ice at Harriman Reservoir in Wilmington turned to chaos.
“The father, Joel, and his two daughters came running out from the shanty and their hats were melted to their heads. Their gloves were melted to their hands,” said Logan Boyd, an ice fisherman.
Boyd helped get 14-year-old Kaylee and 7-year-old Emmaleigh to shore after suffering serious burns following a fire in an ice shanty. What caused the fire is still undetermined.
Community members posted a warning near the water saying methane gas trapped under the ice can cause a flash fire when lit.
The family says after lighting a propane heater in their shanty, they set up tip-ups on the ice. When they returned and drilled a hole, a fire ignited.
The family and Boyd believe it was the methane gas that ignited the pilot light on the heater.
Experts say it’s not out of the realm of possibilities.
“Methane can be produced in lakes. It’s natural process and I do know that in lakes in our region do have kind of pockets of methane that can form under the ice,” said Matthew Vaughan, the chief scientist for the Lake Champlain Basin Program.
After an investigation, Wilmington police say the propane heater may have had a faulty cylinder, creating a flammable vapor cloud within the shanty which was ignited by the pilot light. But the family says the heater would have shut off if there was a faulty tank.
Police did say it could have also been a methane vapor cloud or a combination of both.
Regardless, Boyd and others have reported seeing fires on the reservoir ice due to methane vapor clouds. He urges everyone to always be cautious on the ice.
“You just have to be aware of where you’re fishing and you don’t wanna have your heater going in your enclosed shanty when you tap through in case there’s a methane pocket ‚” Boyd said.
Wilmington police recommend taking precautions on the ice, including not introducing an ignition source when using an ice shanty.
We spoke with the family of the young girls. They said the girls are doing better and should only have minimal scarring as long as they continue the recommended treatment. Their dad is also doing well. All three still have burns on their hands but we’re told the recovery is going as well as it can.