MANCHESTER, NH – Two people were treated for injuries Friday morning after a fire was reported on South Willow Street at a car rental company parking lot.
According to Manchester Fire officials, at approximately 6:23 a.m. units were dispatched to the Avis lot at 367 South Willow St. for a report of two people in a vehicle who suffered burn injuries.
Companies arrived three minutes later to find two victims with first- and second-degree burns. The victims were treated and transported via ambulance to the Elliot Hospital. Both patients are in stable condition at this time.
Upon further investigation it was learned the two people were sleeping overnight in a KIA SUV located on the lot. They were using a propane-fired plumbing torch to heat the interior of the vehicle. At some point overnight, the flame of the torch went out and the tank continued to release fuel. One of the victims awakened from his sleep and re-ignited the torch which caught the lingering fumes ablaze inside the vehicle. The flashover engulfed the occupants in the car but quickly extinguished itself.
The cause has been determined to be accidental and is still under investigation.