A CONNS Lane farmer is recovering in Melbourne’s The Alfred hospital after suffering burns to 25 per cent of his body at the weekend.
The man, aged in his late 30s, was badly burnt after a fire was sparked while he was refuelling his quad motorbike at Illowa about 9pm Saturday.
Country Fire Authority district five duty officer Henry Barton said it was suspected the fire ignited after fuel came into contact with heat from the motorbike.
“The motorbike and nearby grass caught fire and the blaze spread into a large workshop/machinery shed measuring about eight metres by 20 metres,” he said.
“When firefighters arrived an overhead fuel tank had caught fire and there was a running liquid fuel blaze, as well as the building itself being on fire.”
Mr Barton said 35 firefighters were able to save about two-thirds of the shed and much of the contents.
“The firefighters from Winslow, Woodford, Warrnambool and Koroit did a really good job, while volunteers from Kirkstall and Allansford stepped up to cover other stations.
“It took about an hour to contain the fire. The man in his late 30s received burns to 25 per cent of his body, mostly his upper limbs from the knees up. He would have been in a lot of pain.”
A hospital spokeswoman said yesterday the man was in a satisfactory condition.