Published: November 16, 2009 09:42 pm      

Deacon man severely burned

Gasoline explosion caused injuries to more than half his body.

DEACON - A Deacon man who suffered severe burns over the weekend while lighting a brush fire remains in critical condition in a Fort Wayne Hospital.

On Sunday afternoon, Cass County emergency personnel responded to a property in the 3100 block of East 900S after dispatch received a call about a man on fire. A neighbor had found 53-year-old Henry Dishon following a loud explosion.

The neighbor discovered Dishon struggling to extinguish his burning clothes. She reportedly helped him put out the flames.

A Samaritan Helicopter landed nearby to fly Dishon to the burn unit at St. Joseph's Hospital in Fort Wayne. A spokesperson on Monday said Dishon was in critical condition.

Alvin Beckman, director of Emergency Management Agency, was among the first responders on the scene, along with medics and Walton and Galveston firefighters. He said Dishon had been burning brush when he apparently poured gasoline onto the fire. The liquid exploded and engulfed Dishon, who had been alone at the time.

Beckman said Dishon sustained severe burns from his waist down and additional injuries to his face and arms.