A Springville man remained hospitalized in serious condition Tuesday after he was burned Monday in a fire that ignited when he struck an underground fuel line.
Rick Ashcraft, 29, was digging fence-post holes with a tractor-mounted auger when he hit a 2-inch Mountain Fuel line about 30 inches below the surface, said Springville Fire Chief Phil Whitney.Static electricity in the ground and a spark caused by striking the line contributed to the ignition of a fire that burned 29 percent of Ash-craft's body and destroyed the tractor he was operating.
Ashcraft was transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo and later flown to the University of Utah's Intermountain Burn Center, where he was listed in serious but stable condition with second-degree burns on his arms and legs.
Springville firefighters battled 15-foot flames spouting from the fuel line for about 30 minutes Monday before Mountain Fuel employees pinched off the line about 3 p.m.
Firefighters prevented the flames from jumping to a house 30 feet from the broken line by keeping the surrounding area wet, Whitney said.