Jun 7, 2019 1 min read

MONESSEN – A Monessen man was severely burned by rubbing alcohol that caused a flash fire in his apartment Wednesday afternoon.

Monessen fire Chief Chris Rhome said the man, whose identity was unknown, was flown by helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital following the 4:30 p.m. fire at 402 Donner Ave.

A candle was believed to have sparked the fire, which caused minimal damage to the apartment, Rhome said.

The victim suffered second- and third-degree burns from his chest to his feet, Rhome said.

He said a city police officer on patrol used his duty fire extinguisher to stop the fire from spreading.

The fire department ventilated the building and assisted with the landing of the emergency medical helicopter, Rhome said.