Fire seriously burns Marysville man
Published 10:34 pm Saturday, May 9, 2009
MARYSVILLE — A man was flown to a Seattle hospital Saturday afternoon with life-threatening burns covering more than half his body.
Medics rushed to a home in the 5400 block of 107th Place NE about 2 p.m. after getting a report of a man on fire, Marysville Fire District spokeswoman Kristen Thorstenson said. The 47-year-old man suffered severe burns to his face and torso, covering 55 percent of his body.
“It’s heartbreaking to see and hear of anyone getting hurt like this,” Thorstenson said.
The man was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with injuries that were considered to be life-threatening. He was listed in serious condition Saturday evening.
The medical helicopter landed on a soccer field at Marysville-Pilchuck High School. Mitch Whitehouse of Arlington was watching his daughter Anna play softball on one of the school’s fields when he saw the helicopter. It circled twice, then hovered about 20 feet above the ground. An ambulance arrived about 10 minutes after the helicopter landed, Whitehouse said.
Firefighters put out a fire in the garage behind the man’s house. The Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause.
Home fires in 2006 injured almost 13,000 and killed another 2,580 people across the country, not including firefighters, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Snohomish County, two older women died from burns last year after their clothes caught fire while they were cooking.
“If someone’s on fire, you want them to stop, drop, cover their face and roll,” Thorstenson said. If the victim can’t move, grab a blanket and smother the fire.
Never wear loose clothing around a campfire or while cooking, Thorstenson said. If it feels hot, step away. In garages and workshops, be aware of chemicals and anything flammable. It’s often the toxic smoke from chemicals that claim lives, she said.
Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com.
