INDIANAPOLIS (WTTV) – A man died Monday after a snowblower caught fire and the blaze spread to his clothing as he prepared to clear snow from an Indianapolis residence.
The Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) responded just before 5:30 p.m. Monday. When they arrived, firefighters saw heavy smoke coming from the attached garage of a single-story home.
Investigators traced the fire to a snowblower at the residence. It’s believed the victim, 78-year-old Jonnie Douglas, was smoking while pouring gasoline into the snowblower’s tank in an effort to get ready for the upcoming cold weather.
The fumes ignited, setting the snowblower and Douglas’ clothes on fire. He was in critical condition while being transported to the hospital, where he later died.
IFD said Douglas’ death is the seventh fire fatality in their service district this year.
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