Wayne man recovering from burns
By Lee Williams
Published in News on December 1, 2006 1:45 PM
PIKEVILLE -- A Wayne County man is recovering from minor burns he received in a fire that broke out Tuesday at his small car repair shop.
Tony Baker, 71, of 958 Gurley Dairy Road, was working on his Ford Escort when the fire ignited.
Lying beside a gasket pan filled with gas, Baker steadied a 100-watt drop light underneath the car before the fire started.
"I had a drop light under the car so I could see," Baker said. "The light fell in the gas and the lightbulb bust and then it lit up. I tried to pull the pan, but the pan was plastic and melted -- and was everywhere."
Baker burned his left arm and left hand during the ordeal.
Meanwhile, the fire spread forcing the retired mechanic to make a split-second decision.
"I thought it was time to get out of dodge," he said.
The fire gutted his car, the shop and melted the aluminum siding on the back side of his house, Baker said.
Units of Little River, Nahunta and Pikeville volunteer fire departments arrived to fight the flames at about 1:30 p.m.
Baker was transported to Wayne Memorial Hospital for treatment. He said Thursday he was recoving.
The fire destroyed the shop. Damage was estimated at about $11,500, officials estimated.