An investigation into the fatal June 10, 2009 Waconia Farm Supply explosion that killed Ryan Samuelson, 18, of Cologne has been completed, according to a press release from Carver County Sheriff Bud Olson and Waconia Fire Chief Randy Sorensen.

“The investigation revealed no statutes were violated as a result of this tragic event” stated Olson, in a press release.

A joint investigation by the Carver County Sheriff’s Office, Waconia Fire Department, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal concluded that the fatal incident was initiated by the accidental explosion of a 100-pound propane cylinder, the release stated.

The cylinder explosion caused the death of Samuelson, who was a Waconia Farm Supply employee, and resulted in minor injury to a bystander.

Samuelson had just received the cylinder from a customer and had begun a propane filling procedure when the explosion occurred.

The initial explosion ruptured other propane cylinders stored nearby and also damaged the filling station supply line, resulting in a secondary propane-fueled fire. Shrapnel was recovered at distances of more than 400 feet from the explosion site, the release stated.

Deputy State Fire Marshal Bruce McLaughlin stated that ”metallurgical and chemical tests conducted by forensic engineers on recovered cylinder pieces indicated the propane cylinder that exploded had previously contained some amount of acetylene.” McLaughlin explained that “acetylene, a highly flammable gas, is safely stored only in acetylene cylinders after being dissolved into a solvent that keeps the gas stable. Acetylene stored in any other type of container, without special safety features, undergoes chemical decomposition and when subjected to minimal additional pressure (such as the pressure generated by adding propane gas to the cylinder), will generate an amount of heat sufficient to result in a violent explosion.”

“The Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigators have completed their review of the case and did not issue citations after conducting employee and witness interviews, reviewing the employer’s training and safety programs and conferring with the State Fire Marshal’s Office,” said James Honerman, Minnesota OSHA spokesman.

“This was an unfortunate accident that will forever change the lives of many in our community and we wanted to let the community know what we found” stated Sorensen. “We are very grateful to our surrounding agencies and professional partners for all the assistance we received on this incident and the subsequent investigation,” he stated.