Two residents and a security guard at a South 12th Street boarding house in Newark, New Jersey, suffered second degree burns in a flash fire on Monday, April 2, 2011. According to a story in The Star-Ledger, the three men were transported to the Burn Center at St. Barnabas Medical Center after the fire, which is believed to have been caused by a leaking gas pipe which ignited. The men, ages 55, 63 and 69 have received treatment in the intensive care unit and updates on their conditions are not currently available.
At the time of the article’s publication, it was reported that one of the residents, a maintenance man and the security guard searched one of the boarding house’s restrooms to identify the origin of a gas odor. Apparently, the resident sparked a lighter, which ignited the flash fire. The second resident who suffered burns was reportedly using the restroom at the time. A spokeswoman for PSE&G stated that the utility turned off gas to the three-story building after the flash fire and made repairs to the building.
Second degree burns can be extremely painful and significantly increase the chances of scarring and the need for skin grafting.
The fire injury lawyers in New Jersey at Blume Forte are familiar with the physical, emotional, and financial repercussions of serious burn injuries. Fire injury accidents involving burns that are caused by another person or entity’s negligence may permit those injured to pursue claims for the injuries and damages they suffer against the responsible parties. If you or a loved one were injured as a result of a fire, call us at 973-845-4421 for a no-cost consultation of your potential claim.