SILVER SPRINGS, Fla. – A man suffered serious burn injuries and was airlifted to a burn center Thursday morning after an explosion sparked a fire at a home in Marion County, according to Marion County Fire Rescue.
Fire crews responded just before 9 a.m. to a home along the 1200 block of Southeast 169th Avenue Street in Silver Springs after neighbors reported hearing an explosion.
“When they got on scene, they found a garage that was completely involved in flames,” a Marion County Fire Rescue spokesperson said. “They quickly pulled two hose lines and were able to stop the fire from spreading to the house.”
Photos released by Marion County Fire Rescue showed heavy flames and smoke pouring from the attached garage as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.
Officials said crews were able to quickly bring the fire under control and prevent major damage to the rest of the home.
“So a very good job by our crews and quick response times and the additional crews coming in with power and water,” the spokesperson said. “They were able to get that fire under control quickly and thankfully save a lot of that house.”
Neighbors said the homeowner was frequently seen working on projects inside the garage.
One neighbor who lives across the street said he was in his backyard Thursday morning when he heard a loud explosion. He said several neighbors ran outside moments later and saw the homeowner suffering from multiple burn injuries.
Images from the scene showed first responders preparing a medical helicopter that transported the homeowner to a burn center for treatment.
The man’s daughter told News 6 Thursday evening that her father remained in the intensive care unit receiving treatment for his injuries. She also said investigators informed the family that something inside a barrel may have caused the explosion.
Officials said the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Firefighters also safely rescued two cats from inside the home, and no firefighters were injured during the response.
“Our firefighters are consistently training over at our operations center,” the spokesperson said. “Thanks to their advanced level of training, they did stay safe through today’s calls. We had no injuries on scene to any of our firefighters.”
No additional updates on the homeowner’s condition were immediately released Thursday night.