A man suffered second-degree burns to 50 percent of his body Wednesday after a mishap outside a house on Poe Place in Shelton.
The man, whose name wasn’t available, was taken by ambulance to the burn unit at Bridgeport Hospital.
His injuries are not thought to be life threatening, as he was conscious and alert inside his house when emergency crews arrived on scene, according to Shelton Fire Marshal James Tortora, whose office is investigating.
Precisely how the fire happened is still up in the air, as authorities have not had the chance to interview the victim.
City firefighters, EMS and police were sent to the house at about 11:30 a.m. after receiving a report of an explosion.
Arriving firefighters quickly put out a small fire in the back yard.
Tortora said the homeowner apparently had a fire going in a barrel with a container of gasoline nearby. The gas container apparently exploded, injuring the man.
Again, the incident remains under investigation.
The call was one of four Shelton emergency responders had at roughly the same time.
The initial radio reports identified the incident as an explosion involving propane, but propane wasn’t involved, according to the fire marshal’s account.