SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A man was airlifted to an area hospital with severe burn injuries in Suffolk Wednesday morning.
Just after 10 a.m. the man arrived at Fire Station 8 in a personal vehicle. Crews assessed the man’s injuries and provided him with advanced life support care.
Due to the severity of injuries and the distance to the hospital, the patient was airlifted by Nightingale Air Ambulance to an area hospital. Officials say the man’s injuries are serious but not life-threatening.
According to Suffolk Fire & Rescue, it happened in the 500 block of Freeman Mill Road.
The Suffolk Fire Marshal’s Office determined that a grinder tool was used to dismantle a pressurized container labeled “Instant Tack Insulation Adhesive.” This ignited a spark and caused the residual material/vapor in the container to ignite a “flash fire.”
Suffolk’s Fire Marshal, Battalion Chief Chris Cornwell wants to remind everyone of the dangers of assuming any pressurized container is empty of all vapor. He also says that you should never cut or weld on a pressurized vessel because residual vapor can be considered extremely flammable.
