A man suffered minor burns Tuesday when a flammable liquid, possibly gasoline, ignited in a brief flash aboard a fishing boat on a trailer in the parking lot of the Port of Bellingham offices, 1801 Roeder Ave., near the Squalicum Harbor boat launch.
Bellingham Fire Department officials said the man was examined by firefighters, and he decided to seek medical attention on his own. Firefighters could not disclose his name because of medical privacy laws.
Other firefighters checked the boat to make sure no environmental or explosive hazards remained. The Bellingham-based boat, a 25-foot purse seiner named Top-Flite, appeared undamaged, as did a pickup truck pulling the boat’s trailer. The cause of the blast was not determined.