An Odin man was airlifted to a St. Louis Hospital from the Odin School parking lot on Thursday afternoon following a flash fire outside his home.
Odin Fire Chief Greg Smith says the man was burning brush on his property in the 100 block of East Poplar when he reportedly poured some type of accelerant from a coffee can he was holding onto the fire. The fire flashed and caught the man on fire. Smith is not releasing his name because he is not certain all of his family has been notified.
Smith says the man received at least second-degree burns from the waist up. A neighbor reported hearing the sound of the fire flashing and then heard the man screaming and saw him rolling on the ground.
Smith says the man was conscious but in extreme pain when they arrived on the scene. Firemen assisted United Medical Response in moving the man to the Odin School Parking Lot where he was flown to a St. Louis Hospital.
Smith says the school staff got students off the playground to make preparations for the landing of the helicopter and kept everyone inside on a soft lockdown until the transfer was complete. He commended the school for its actions.
The State Fire Marshal’s office has been notified of the fire injury, but so far has conducted no investigation.
