Man seriously burned while welding gas tank

GONIC - A man welding a gas tank on a truck in back of the Riviera Motel was badly burned when the vehicle erupted into flame Tuesday afternoon around 2 p.m.

Rochester Fire Department Lt. Ken Chick said the flames apparently engulfed the man’s face and breathing airways, so firefighters called for a DHART helicopter which landed in the middle of Route 125 across from the Dunkin’ Donut near the motel around 2:34 p.m.

The man, who is thought to be a resident of the motel, was trying to weld the gas tank near the fill pipe, a “very dangerous move,” Chick said.

Flames quickly spread from the vehicle to brush behind the motel.

“There was a lot going on,” Chick said. “We had a couple of firefighters helping the burned guy, others trying to put the fire out in the vehicle and others trying to knock down the brushfire.”

Fire crews called for the helicopter at 2:04, then worked to knock down the brush and vehicle fire which they did in short order.

Chick said a couple of people who were at the scene towed the Ford F-350 truck away from the motel, so it wouldn’t threaten the sprawling structure.

Chick said when he first arrived the victim was walking around and didn’t seem to be having a hard time breathing, but he knew he had to get him Medflighted and to a burn center quick.

He said he saw the chopper headed south and figured they were taking him to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

A Barrington Forestry Truck was called in case the brush fire got out of hand.

A Lebanon resident coming home from work who saw the helicopter landing in the road said it was a remarkable sight and that safety crews did a good job to keep traffic moving around the helicopter while it was on the ground.