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Fire marshal: Riverhead man airlifted after fire sparks inside garage

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A Riverhead man suffered second-degree burns Friday morning when the fumes from gasoline he was pouring into a lawn trimmer combined with a lit candle to spark a fire, according to the Riverhead Town fire marshal.

The man, who was pouring the gasoline inside his garage at his Foxwood Village home, suffered burns on his chest and arms, said Craig Zitek, a town fire marshal. The man, who is in his 60s, was airlifted from a nearby field to Stony Brook University Hospital, Mr. Zitek said.

A neighbor who witnessed it said the man’s son doused his father and the fire with a hose.

“I was on the phone and heard some noise,” said Jeff Rausch, who was visiting from Boston. “Then I saw that the garage was just consumed with flames and I noticed someone flailing and screaming. My mother called 911 and I ran across the street.”

The fire was already out by the time the Riverhead Fire Department arrived on scene shortly after 11 a.m.

Photo Caption: The fire sparked inside the garage Friday morning. (Credit: Tim Gannon)

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