The Poweshiek County farmer whose name gained notoriety during the search for Mollie Tibbetts was injured Thursday morning when a suspected gas explosion leveled his home.

Firefighters responded to the explosion at 9:45 a.m. on the 70-acre farm of Wayne Cheney, who was interviewed by the FBI and said he took a polygraph exam during the weekslong search for Tibbetts.

Social media chatter gave prominence to the FBI's search of Cheney's property and his repeated interactions with authorities, but investigators never named him as a suspect or a person of interest in the case. Cheney's farm sits about 13 miles to the southeast of Brooklyn, Tibbetts' hometown.

Cheney repeatedly denied ever meeting Tibbetts or her family.

Authorities charged an undocumented worker, Cristhian Bahena Rivera, with first-degree murder after discovering Tibbetts' body Aug. 21 in a cornfield. Police said Bahena Rivera confessed to abducting Tibbetts July 18 while she was on a run just outside of Brooklyn. She died of multiple stab wounds.

Bahena Rivera has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. His trial is set to begin in September.

Reached Thursday, Poweshiek County Sheriff Tom Kriegel said Cheney was sent to an Iowa City hospital with burns, though he did not know the extent of his injuries. Cheney, who was conscious and alert, was expected to survive, the sheriff said.

Cheney told firefighters he was trying to light a space heater before his Deep River home exploded, Kriegel said. Investigators believe gas had filled the house in the 2100 block of 470th Avenue.

The sheriff called the home a total loss.

"What didn't blow up burned up," Kriegel said.

Check back for updates.