The initial lighting of a water heater caused a fire in Sister Bay on Thursday that damaged a home and injured one person.

The Sister Bay-Liberty Grove Fire Department responded to the single-story home on Bay Shore Drive just after 9:10 a.m. According to Sister Bay-Liberty Grove Fire Chief Michael Goldstone, the gas piping to the water heater had recently been replaced, and a technician was on-site for the initial gas fill and startup procedure.

During the lighting process, a flash fire occurred around the base of the water heater, burning the technician’s face. He was able to call 911 and shut down the propane tank, but not before the fire spread into the walls of the home.

Firefighters were able to locate the fire extension shortly after arriving on scene. They opened sections of the walls with chainsaws and quickly extinguished the blaze using approximately 50 gallons of water and foam solution.

The technician was evaluated at the scene by paramedics and released.

The incident remains under investigation, though Goldstone said preliminary findings indicate the fire was accidental.

The Ephraim, Gibraltar, Baileys Harbor, Egg Harbor and Jacksonport fire departments, along with the Door County Sheriff’s Department and Door County Emergency Medical Services, assisted at the scene.