An Ottawa man is in serious condition and was airlifted to the burn unit at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto after accidentally setting himself on fire yesterday morning while trying to cut open a gas tank with a chainsaw.The Ottawa Fire Department said 62-year-old Stanley Hill had been doing some cleanup work on a rural property at 4679 Ridge Rd., off Walkley Road, about 10 a.m. when, they believe, a spark from the saw caused a small explosion and a flash of fire to spread up his body and head.
Mr. Hill put out the fire. He drove himself about 100 meters across the road to a farmhouse where a startled female resident called 911. Paramedics treated him for second- and third-degree burns to his face, head, chest, back, arms and legs. Mr. Hill was able to tell paramedics what had happened.