ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Authorities say a Greece man suffered third-degree burns over 30 percent of his body after a gas can in the trunk of his car ignited at a gas station early Wednesday morning. It happened near the intersection of Portland and Clifford Avenues shortly after midnight.
The car fire happened right outside the front door of the gas station store. Rochester police say when Igor Pataco, 44, placed a gas can in the trunk of his car something caused it to burst into flames, igniting the car and mans clothes on fire.
Police heard loud explosions near this Rochester gas station shortly after midnight. When police and firefighters got there they found a vehicle fully engulfed in flames. They say the explosion pushed Pataco backward from his car and caught his clothes on fire.
"Gasoline is extremely volatile. Any time you have a gasoline fed fire it is very dangerous, very dangerous," said Jonathan Young, Rochester Fire battalion chief.
Firefighters and police reviewed surveillance video taken at the gas station. It shows Pataco had been pumping some gas and then placed a gas can into the back of the car and then, the explosion and flames.
Firefighters say the man rolled to the ground and was able to put out the flames. He's at Strong Memorial Hospital with third-degree burns over 30 percent of his body and is in satisfactory condition.
"It could have been a lot worse. He could have pulled away, or he could have been just pulling up to the building. When it ignited when he could not have been able to get out of the car," said Young.
The gas station is owner is thankful no one else was hurt. He said there are safety gas pump reminders posted at the pumps and that customers should use secure gas cans.
"Usually this problem occurs when someone comes to the store with a cigarette and they don't want to put it out. We have some fights with people who want to buy gas at the same time and make careless mistakes. We try our best to prevent problems but, sometimes we can't," said Salem Nagi, store owner.
Fire investigators are trying to figure out if there was something else in the back of his car that sparked the fire or was someone smoking nearby.
Rochester fire officials say people need to be careful when it comes to transporting a substance as volatile as gasoline.
A battalion chief said there is more risk than reward to keeping extra gas for an emergency. He says you want to limit the time you have the flammable liquid in your car.
A spill can create dangerous vapors in an enclosed space.
"Anything that can create a spark can ignite gasoline," Rochester Fire Battalion Chief James Hartman said. "It's extremely volatile and it has a very, very low ignition temperature. It can be ignited simply from static electricity. The spark generated from when you rub your hair or rub clothing or anything. Even the action of getting in and out of cloth seats could have created the spark."