Man badly hurt when fuel thrown on fire pit

LACONIA — A man suffered serious burns when someone threw fuel on an outside fire, causing an explosion.

The man, whose name was not released, was among a group outside a residence at 75 Belmont Road, early Saturday evening when “one of the adults used a flammable liquid, believed to be either gasoline or kerosene in an attempt to make their campfire burn better,” Fire Chief Kirk Beattie said. “The liquid rapidly ignited, spreading the fire to the areas around the campfire.”

The fire was extinguished before firefighters arrived on the scene.

The man, who received severe burns to his upper body, was transported by Fire Department Ambulance to Concord Hospital.

Three others received minor burns, and they chose to go in private vehicles to get medical treatment.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office was called in to assist with the investigation because of the number of injuries.

“There is no update on the medical condition of any of the victims at this time,” Beattie said Monday.