Services for Steven Eich, 35, of Ankeny, who died Saturday at University Hospitals in Iowa City of Complications from burns received in a January 20 electrical fire accident beneath a downtown Des Moines street, were held Tuesday, January 29 at 1:00 p.m. at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Ankeny. Burial was in Ankeny Memorial Gardens Cemetery with Howard Field, Tom Gray, Richard Mason, Myron Milsap, Don Patterson and Paul Pruitt, all employees of Iowa Power and Light Co., as casketbearers.

Steven Eich was born January 2, 1950, at Manning, Iowa. He was married to Doris Teel on May 1, 1971 and they made their home in Ankeny, Iowa. He was last employed by Iowa Power and Light Co. He was a coach of Ankeny Little League and a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church.

He is survived by his wife, Doris, his son, John, two daughters, Stephanie and Sara, his parents, Lyle and Colleen Eich of Rogers, Arkansas, one brother, Dr. Bruce Eich and his wife, Kris, of Lewisville, Texas, his in-laws, Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Teel of Des Moines and his grandmother, Lisetta Derner of Manning, Iowa.

Electrical explosion injures seven
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Five utility company workers and two firefighters were injured Sunday in an electrical explosion and flash fire beneath a downtown street.
The explosion occurred while the utility workers were removing temporary electrical lines into a building so permanent connections could be installed, said Chuck Seel, spokesman for Iowa Power and Light Co.
Two Iowa Power employees were seriously burned. Thomas Dudley, 45, of Des Moines and Steven Eich, 35, of Ankeny suffered second- and third-degree burns over 75 percent of their bodies and were in critical condition at University Hospitals in Iowa City.
Iowa Power workers Paul Pruitt, William Ellis and William Head were treated for smoke inhalation at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.
Seel said firefighters had to rescue aft five workers from a smoke-filled room. Firefighters Gerald Beckett and Carl Stillwell also were treated for smoke inhalation at Iowa Methodist.
Seel said Iowa Power officials did not know what caused the explosion, which left some downtown businesses without power for four hours.
Fire Capt. Jim Griffiths said "there was a ball of fire down in that room" and the blaze erupted several times after firefighters arrived. He said firefighters used dry powder extinguishers to tight the flames.
Seel said the temporary electrical lines the workers were removing had been in place since a fire several months ago.