NEW CANEY MAN CRITICALLY BURNED

Just after 11:30 p.m. calls started coming into Montgomery County 911 with callers reporting a large explosion on Mexican John Road in New Caney. Additional calls then started coming in that a man was burned badly.

New Caney Fire Department arrived within minutes and found a 73-year old male on the porch of his home with first and second degree burns from head to toe. According to the Fire Marshal second and third degree burns cover  95% of his body.

Shortly after MCH arrived on the scene and called for a helicopter to transport the victim to Hermann Hospital in Houston. Due to the fog at Conroe Airport PHI Air Medical was unable to launch but only ten minutes earlier the fog had cleared at David Wayne Hooks Airport in Tomball allowing Life Flight to respond to the scene.

The yet unidentified male was then transported in very critical condition to Hermann.

Kevin Bates, an Assistant Fire Marshal with the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office investigated the incident and believes the man  was dressed in nylon windbreaker type clothing was using gasoline to burn the small piles of tree limbs, when he the gasoline a vapor cloud had formed and caused it to flash which may have sounded like an explosion at a distance. The clothes on the male melted to him.

The Fire Marshal’s Office warns to not use gasoline when burning and to wear cotton clothing. In addition it is only legal to burn tree debris generated by you on your property.