Muncie man suffers severe burns in Saturday night blaze at southside home

MUNCIE, Ind. — A Muncie man on Saturday night was severely burned when a fire broke out in a southside garage and spread to an attached home.

Dean A. Sailers Sr., 55, was being treated Sunday at a hospital in Indianapolis for burns that reportedly covered about 30 percent of his body.

According to Scott Hahn, battalion chief for the Muncie Fire Department, Sailers and at least one other man were working to replace a sport utility vehicle's gasoline tank when the fire was accidentally ignited.

Sailers was at first taken by ambulance to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital and was later transferred to the burn unit in Indianapolis.

Another man was treated at the scene for minor burns.

Emergency dispatchers received reports of the blaze at 9:49 p.m. on Saturday, and fire trucks were at the scene within five minutes.

Hahn said the house, in the 2200 block of South Gharkey Street, was "fully involved" when firefighters arrived.

Hahn said the house was likely a total loss. Several other people lived in the residence but were not injured, the battalion chief said.

Two city firefighters were treated at the scene for heat exhaustion, according to Hahn.

Fire trucks remained at the scene until about 1:30 a.m. Sunday.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter for The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie man suffers severe burns in Saturday night blaze at southside home