PORT CHARLOTTE — A Port Charlotte man suffered serious burns Thursday morning while remodeling a bathroom in his home on Caring Way in the Promenades West neighborhood, according to Charlotte County Fire & EMS.
Charlotte County Fire & EMS responded to the call around 8:40 a.m.
The man, reported to be in his 30s, had been using spray paint in a poorly ventilated bathroom when he became bothered by the fumes.
“So, he attempted to light some candles and the fumes combusted, burning his legs, arms and neck,” said Charlotte County Fire spokesperson Todd Dunn.
The man suffered first- and second-degree burns over 20{28ab41d673507bfe0daf970418d2e81f9476b3e139564442359ad7402c370b16} of his body and was transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
“First degree are the least severe and on the surface of the skin but second degree burns are down into the epidermis,” Dunn said. “Those are pretty serious.”
Dunn went on to say that when using any product, especially spray paint, you should read the instructions, labels and warnings, and follow the directions.
“In this case, the victim was using spray paint in a small room without adequate ventilation, and the introduction of a flame caused the fumes to explode,” he said. “Aerosol paints contain highly flammable gases, which can make them extremely dangerous when not used correctly.”
Dunn said there was some damage to the room.
“There was damage to the drywall from the explosion,” he said. “The ceiling was pushed up and there was only a little evidence of fire in the form of some paper that burned in around the bathtub.
“All the walls were clear and cool to the touch. Crews used a thermal imaging camera to verify there was no fire inside the walls.”