Whitefish builder severely burned in North Dakota home explosion

A Whitefish builder working in Williston, N.D. was severely burned after a house he was outside of exploded Monday evening.

Casey Malmquist, owner of Malmquist Construction in Whitefish, was flown to the Regions Hospital burn center in St. Paul, Minn., where he is being treated for second and third degree burns. He currently is in stable condition, and friends say his vital signs are strong.

Williston Rural Fire Chief Dave Benth said the explosion is believed to be propane related, but the investigation is ongoing.

Neighbors told Benth the initial blast caused the windows of the home to blow out. They called 911 after seeing Malmquist collapse outside the home. Malmquist was reportedly on the deck when the explosion occurred.

The recently constructed home in a rural subdivision about seven miles from Williston was fully engulfed in flames when emergency crews arrived.

“The whole basement was engulfed in flames, and flames were coming out of the windows,” Benth told the Pilot.

Crews with Malmquist Construction have been in Williston for more than two years building houses and apartment buildings for workers in the oil fields. Some of the homes the company has built were for Halliburton Energy Services.

Malmquist spends about a week every month in Williston and has management staffers from the Flathead who oversee the projects.