Heavy snow led to explosion at NY church, investigators reveal

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Thursday, February 19, 2026

The blast at Abundant Life Fellowship church in Boonville, New York, that left five people, including the pastor, injured on Tuesday was triggered by heavy snow, according to investigators.

An update from the New York State Police on Wednesday's investigation into the blast said a propane fuel line was damaged after the church's roof buckled under the weight of snow that had accumulated in the area.

“The investigation indicates that a propane fuel line was damaged due to roof slumping caused by heavy snow accumulation,” New York State Police said. “Fire department personnel were attempting to locate the electrical panel to shut off power to the building prior to addressing the propane leak when the explosion occurred.”

Booneville experienced record-breaking snowfall in recent weeks. The town broke the 200-inch seasonal mark for the first time in over 15 years, according to local reports. On Wednesday, a massive lake-effect snowstorm pushed the town’s seasonal total to 213.4 inches, surpassing the 2008–2009 record of 213.1 inches. The total has since risen to 221.3 inches. Like Abundant Life Fellowship church, many buildings in the area also had roofs that buckled or collapsed under the weight of accumulated snow.

The New York State Police said first responders arrived at the church after receiving a call at around 10:23 a.m. about a gas odor inside the building. There were four people in the church’s basement when the furnace activated, triggering the explosion. A firefighter who was on the first floor trying to ventilate the building was thrown against a wall.

The church’s pastor, 43-year-old Brandon Pitts, was transported to Upstate Hospital along with Boonville Fire Chief David Pritchard Jr., 60. Both men are currently in fair condition. Three other members of the Boonville Fire Department were also transported to local hospitals. Nicholas Amicucci, 43, and Richard Czajka, 71, were taken to Upstate Hospital and are all in critical condition. Another Booneville Fire Department official, Allan Austin, 67, was taken to Wynn Hospital in Utica.

Family members and loved ones of those injured in the blast have been sharing stories of survival as they seek to recover.

Boonville Fire Chief Dave Pritchard Jr.'s sister, Renee Reed, told WKTV she only received a call saying, “There had been a bad accident with an explosion, and my brother was involved.”

Family members say the fire chief required surgery on both his hands, but was still concerned about everyone else impacted by the blast as he crawled out from under debris in the aftermath.

"Uncle Dave, being the great chief that he is, made sure everyone else was taken care of before he was," his niece Corrine Rauscher told the news outlet. "Ambulance-wise, he was like, 'I'm not going in that ambulance. You're taking someone else.'"

While the blast has been a tragedy on the surface, First Assistant Fire Chief Dean Yauger told the news outlet that it has brought the community closer together.

"Phones never stop ringing. 'What do you need? What can we bring you?' You can look around and see the stuff that's been brought here," he said. "There are some fundraisers that have been established on social media. They are not us. They're being done by local people and they're the ones managing that.”