(Photo: MGN)MARION STATION, Md.- Authorities say a 21-year old man using a cutting torch on an oil tank was severely burned in an explosion that occurred Saturday afternoon at Cullen Farm on Marion-Crisfield Road in Somerset County.
The Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office said that shortly before 1 p.m., the Tasley, Va., man and his 52-year-old father were using an acetylene torch and performing a cutting operation on a large oil tank- which had previously been used to store gasoline- when the tank exploded. The explosion subsequently ignited a nearby 20-foot by 30-foot pole building. Investigators believe that neither man knew the tank had previously stored the flammable liquid.
The 21-year-old suffered second-and-third degree burns to more than 90 percent of his body. He was flown by Maryland State Police helicopter to the Bayview Medical Center Burn Unit in Baltimore. The man's father was initially transported to McCready Memorial Hospital in Crisfield for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries but was later transferred to Bayview Medical Center.
The explosion brought 15 firefighters from Marion Volunteer Fire Company to the scene and took approximately 25 minutes to bring the fire under control.
