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PROVO — A Taylorsville man was critically injured when fuel vapors ignited inside a walk-in shipping container in Utah County Saturday morning.
Emergency crews responded to reports of an explosion on private property along Hancock Ranch Road in southwest Utah County just before 10 a.m., the Utah County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
The 49-year-old man went inside the container where different kinds of flammable fuels were stored. He lit a portable propane heater at the far end then headed out, but vapors from the fuels ignited and exploded as he got to the entrance.
The man was burned over most of his body, with critical second-degree burns over 35% of his body, the release said. Additionally, his right hand was almost severed in the incident.
The man was flown by medical helicopter to the University of Utah Hospital burn unit where his condition is considered life-threatening, according to the release.
Further details about the incident were not made available Saturday.
