NEWPORT, Ore. -- A man caught fire at a Newport gas station Monday when he tried to light a cigarette while pumping gas, fire officials said.
The accident happened at a self-serve gas station at the corner of Northeast 3rd and Harney Streets in Newport Monday. He accidentally lit himself on fire and suffered serious burns, according to Newport firefighter Phil Page.
A passenger in the victim's vehicle tried to extinguish fire while a passerby called for help.
The vapors alone were enough to cause the fire, said Page of how the fire started. It's a fairly obvious message that people should not smoke around flammable liquids.
Crews arrived at approximately 6:35 p.m. and put out a small fire near the gas pump and activated the station's emergency shutoff. The man was taken by ambulance to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital with serious burns, according to Rob Murphy with the Newport Fire Department.
