Man used turkey fryer to heat home filled with propane tanks

A man from Lebanon, Pennsylvania was arrested on Friday after police said they found him using an open flame turkey fryer to heat a home that contained more than 20 propane tanks. Christopher Michael Geist, 47, is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail in Lebanon County Prison.

Police were called to the block where Geist lives for a report of a disturbance, according to charging documents filed by Lebanon City police Patrolman Brandt Zimmerman. Upon arriving at the scene, officers found a man who told them Geist had used a metal pipe to damage his car.  Zimmerman reported there was more than $1,000 in damage to the vehicle’s windshield, steering column and exterior.
The officers then met with Geist at the back of his residence, at which point Zimmerman said they noticed several propane tanks inside the rear foyer of the house. The tanks had Blue Rhino stickers and matched the description of several other propane tanks that had been stolen recently in Lebanon, Zimmerman said. That led the officers to ask Geist if they could search his home. After he consented, they found the turkey fryer, which was next to various combustible materials, according to Zimmerman.
The officers also reported finding approximately 26 propane tanks in the home, which was attached to another occupied residence. Additionally, Zimmerman said they found four glass pipes next to Geist’s bed, which the officer said were for smoking controlled substances. Geist was charged with risking catastrophe, criminal mischief and possession of drug paraphernalia. He has a preliminary court hearing scheduled for May 1.