ATLANTA - A man suffered second- and third-degree burns over 80 percent of his body Thursday morning after a fire broke out at a gas pump in southeast Atlanta.
The fire broke out at a gas station off of Memorial Drive and Clifton Street. The man, whose name has not been released, is in critical condition.
Gas pumps at the station were turned off while investigators checked to make sure there wasn't a malfunction.
The gas station's owner said the middle-aged man came in just before noon Thursday, bought $5 worth of gas and a $1 lighter, and then walked out.
“We've seen fires start with static electricity, and capers can catch on fire,” said Atlanta Fire Sgt. Cortez Stafford said. “Obviously, you smell gas when you're pumping, and those vapors are flammable.”
The fire’s cause hasn’t been determined, but Stafford said there were no obvious signs of cigarettes or any flammable materials other than gas.
For a brief moment, a surveillance video shows the man running across the parking lot with his feet on fire.
"There were people on scene who were trying to assist the gentleman who was on fire by removing some of his clothes, trying to pat him out," Stafford said.
