1 dead, 2 critically injured in Cache County home explosion

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NEWTON, Cache County — Sheriff's deputies have identified the man killed, and others injured in a Cache County home explosion Thursday evening.

The home located at 5670 North and state Route 23 near Newton exploded about 6 p.m. with three people inside, the Cache County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. The home caught fire and was destroyed in the explosion.

The release identified John Mullin as the man killed in the explosion. Another man, Joshua Mullin, was blown out of the home by the explosion and sustained burns on his arms, the sheriff's office said. Joshua Mullin was transported to Cache Valley Hospital with multiple burns on his arms, chest and face.

"He is currently sedated and has a long recovery ahead of him," the release stated.

Rescuers pulled a woman — later identified as Caryn Mullin, John's wife — out of the house. She was hospitalized with multiple fractures and burns to her body and was transported to McKay-Dee Hospital for additional care.

Deputies searched through the rubble of the home into the night looking for John Mullin, who was in the house when the explosion occurred. He was found deceased about midnight.

The family are professional dog breeders who are licensed in the county, deputies said. There were approximately 30 dogs in a separate structure on the property at the time of the blast.

A neighbor told KSL NewsRadio that he saw the explosion from across the street and could smell propane. He heard cries for help from inside the home but couldn't reach the victims and instead called 911.

Another neighbor said debris from the explosion landed on his property, a few hundred yards away.

Deputies said there were 16 dogs in the home, five of which were recovered several hours after the explosion and taken for treatment. Three of those are in critical condition and two are in good condition. Family members are caring for all the other dogs located on the property.

The sheriff's office also released a video of the fire rescue efforts.

"The men and women who put their lives on the line to save Caryn demonstrated heroic behaviors as expected in Cache County," deputies stated.

Cache County Sheriff's Lt. Mikelshan Bartschi said investigators do not yet know what caused the explosion.

Contributing: Karah Brackin

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Cassidy Wixom

Cassidy Wixom is an award-winning reporter for KSL. She covers Utah, Wasatch and Summit County communities, arts and entertainment, Utah courts and breaking news. Cassidy graduated from BYU before joining KSL in 2022.

Bridger Beal-Cvetko

Bridger Beal-Cvetko is a reporter for KSL. He covers politics, Salt Lake County communities and breaking news. Bridger has worked for the Deseret News and graduated from Utah Valley University.

Andrew Adams

Andrew Adams reports for KSL 5 News at 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Andrew’s news credits include breaking and covering national stories. He has followed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to primary states Iowa in 2008 and New Hampshire in 2012 and covered the Romney campaign on election night in Boston in 2012. He has covered the Susan Cox Powell case extensively since her disappearance in 2009. Andrew’s February 2011 investigative work on four Walmart workers fired after stopping an armed shoplifter was featured on CNN and other national outlets. He covered the Crandall Canyon Mine Disaster, the legal proceedings of polygamist leader Warren Jeffs, the federal conviction and sentencing of Elizabeth Smart kidnapper Brian David Mitchell, and the movements of BYU and the University of Utah through conference realignment. Andrew is also proud of a cameo in 2011 on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report. Andrew’s awards include regional Edward R. Murrow wins in radio for writing, investigative reporting and sports reporting. He was also part of the “Utah’s Morning News” radio broadcast that won a 2011 national Murrow for best newscast.

1 dead, 2 critically injured in Cache County home explosion

By Cassidy Wixom, Bridger Beal-Cvetko and Andrew Adams, KSL | Updated - March 10, 2023 at 12:08 p.m. | Posted - March 9, 2023 at 10:41 p.m.