Community rallies behind construction worker hurt while fixing Fresno church

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno man hospitalized in an explosion while repairing his church parking lot is back on his feet. Ryan Brewer suffered 2nd-degree burns to his forearm and legs when a propane tank he was working with exploded at Bethel Christian.

Thursday may have appeared like an ordinary day on the job for Brewer but it's one he calls a miracle.

"I was overwhelmed," he said. "It made me want to cry with happy tears."

Brewer was hospitalized in a work accident less than a month ago. The groundskeeper at Bethel Christian was re-sealing their parking lot.

To speed up the process, he used a propane torch to heat the material that triggered an explosion.

"All the sudden I see this pop and the flames suck into the barrel," he recalled. "I threw my arm up and by the grace of God I'm here today."

After the explosion, Brewer spent three days in the hospital getting treated for his burns he said it's hard to believe now he's back to work. Though he's still recovering from the second and almost 3rd-degree burns on his forearm and legs. He's getting his strength from the community.

"I actually saw the ABC30 News Facebook post about it," said Dejah Anderson with Anderson Striping and Construction. "When we were at work and we saw it and we just felt terrible to see someone hurt in our line of work."

For the next two days, Anderson Striping and Construction is helping Brewer get the job done.

"I couldn't believe someone would step up like that and just do what I was trying to do out of the kindness of their heart and I thank God for them," Brewer said.

The team is volunteering their time to reseal both church parking lots and their supplier donated materials as well.

"There's not always a lot of opportunity in this for what we do to give because its parking lots seal coating and striping but we really thought this would be a good opportunity for that," Anderson said.