Man seriously burned in Annapolis house explosion dies of injuries

A man who was injured in a house explosion in Annapolis earlier this month has died in the hospital, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department confirmed on Friday.

The man was identified as 75-year-old Stanley Synowczynski. Officials said earlier that Synowczynski suffered severe burns in the August 20 blast and was airlifted to the hospital on the day of the incident. 

Synowczynski's wife, 76-year-old Linda Synowczynski, died on the day of the explosion. Fire officials said she went into cardiac arrest after the blast. Neighbors had started performing CPR on her before firefighters arrived, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.    

A statement from the fire department issued on Friday said, "This is a tragic incident and our hearts go out to the family and friends of the Synowczynski's."

The explosion, which occurred off Green Holly Drive in Annapolis, leveled the house. 

Earlier this week, investigators looking into the cause said they had determined the blast was accidental and resulted from an accumulation of propane gas inside the home.

Anne Arundel County fire officials said the owner of the residence was working on the home's HVAC system when a propane line was accidentally cut. The severed line allowed propane gas to leak and build up inside the home without the homeowner noticing. While working in the area, the homeowner had used a metal grinder, which investigators said ignited the gas.

Earlier in the investigation, fire officials thought a propane delivery that happened on the day of the blast might have caused the explosion. But it was later determined that the propane company that made the delivery "did not cause or contribute to the explosion." 

The investigation was conducted by the Anne Arundel County Fire/Arson/Explosives Unit, in cooperation with state and federal partners.