One worker suffered burns across about half his body after the blast near Mayer, Arizona.
MAYER, AZ— Two men were severely burned in a gas line explosion at a jobsite near Mayer last week, sending both workers to a burn center in Phoenix as relatives and local officials said the cause of the blast remained under review.
The explosion drew wider attention this week as family members described the injuries of one of the workers, James Gowenlock of Prescott, and as local emergency officials confirmed that two people had been flown from the scene for treatment. The case matters now because one man is facing a long recovery that includes surgeries and skin grafts, while key questions about how the line ignited and whether it had been shut off have not been publicly answered.
Mayer Fire District officials said crews responded Friday, April 17, to a gas line explosion and that two people were flown to a burn center for treatment. Family members later identified Gowenlock as the worker who suffered the worst injuries. His sister, Sarah McGee, said the explosion happened at a jobsite near Mayer after the crew believed the line had been shut off. “Something was not shut off that was supposed to be. We don’t know who, we don’t know what,” McGee said. She said the blast threw her brother into a medical crisis within seconds and left his co-worker to pull him to safety before both men got help. A separate Phoenix television report said the co-worker’s quick actions helped save Gowenlock’s life. Public reports have not identified the second injured man, and no agency had released a detailed timeline of the moments just before the explosion.
McGee said Gowenlock suffered third-degree burns on about 50% of his body, with much of the damage centered on his arms. She said he has also had trouble with motor function since the blast. Both men were taken to a Phoenix burn unit, but the extent of the second worker’s injuries has not been publicly detailed beyond reports that he also was severely burned. That leaves several important facts still unknown, including the exact location of the jobsite, the type of gas line involved, and whether investigators believe the explosion was caused by a valve problem, a line that remained live, or another failure. No public document reviewed by news outlets this week listed citations, violations or charges tied to the incident. Emergency responders have confirmed only the broad outline of the event: a worksite blast, two badly hurt men and air transport to specialized treatment. In the absence of a formal investigative update, much of the public account has come from relatives trying to explain what happened and how serious the injuries are.
The blast happened in a part of central Arizona where utility, plumbing and construction work often takes place across rural properties and small communities. Mayer lies southeast of Prescott in Yavapai County, and serious burn cases from northern Arizona are commonly taken to Phoenix-area specialty care because of the level of treatment required. McGee said Gowenlock is a plumber by trade, a detail that places him directly in the kind of hands-on work where crews rely on shutdown checks and line safety before repairs begin. She also described him as a familiar face in Prescott outside the jobsite, saying he is known locally as a caring uncle and a teacher at a card shop where he helped children learn Pokémon. That picture of his life before the explosion has become part of the story because it shows what may be interrupted for months or longer. Severe burns often bring repeated procedures, rehabilitation and uncertainty, and family members said they do not yet know when Gowenlock will be able to return to the work and hobbies that shaped his daily life.
For now, the procedural picture is limited. Mayer Fire District publicly acknowledged the incident in a weekend summary of calls and said only that two people were flown to a burn center. As of Tuesday, April 21, family members were still describing the cause in tentative terms, saying they believed something that should have been shut off was not. No local agency had publicly announced a completed cause determination, a workplace enforcement action, or any hearing date connected to the explosion. It was also not clear whether a utility operator, fire investigator, county agency or workplace safety authority would issue the next formal report. That leaves the immediate next steps centered on medical care and fact-finding. Gowenlock is expected to face surgeries and skin grafts, according to his family, while investigators work through the basic questions that follow a serious industrial fire: what equipment was in use, what safety steps had been taken, whether fuel was still flowing and what sequence led to ignition. Until those answers are released, the official record remains narrow and the public narrative remains incomplete.
The most vivid details have come from the people around Gowenlock, who have described both the shock of the blast and the pain that followed. McGee said she learned of the explosion from a call at home and later saw a side of her brother she had never seen before. “I’ve never seen him cry in my whole life,” she said, recalling a visit after the blast. “His lip was trembling constantly. And he was trying really hard to be tough for me.” She said he is also an artist known for detailed drawings, a small but painful measure of how much the injuries may affect the use of his hands and arms. The account has resonated in Prescott, where relatives said he is well known in community spaces outside work. Even with that support, the outlook remains uncertain. Family members say they do not know when his pain will ease or when he might regain the ability to do the things he loves. The second injured worker, while less publicly identified, remains part of the same unfolding story of survival and recovery after a split-second workplace blast.
As of Wednesday, April 22, both men were still reported to be in treatment after the April 17 explosion, and no full public explanation of the cause had been released. The next milestone is likely an official investigative update or medical update as Gowenlock begins the surgeries and grafts his family says are ahead.
Author note: Last updated April 22, 2026.