A man was badly burned Friday afternoon when an asphalt sealing machine exploded and burst into flames, blowing off the man’s clothes in a Sabattus Street parking lot.
Several witnesses reported hearing the explosion and seeing a bright flare of flames as the machine caught fire at 1296 Sabattus St. at about 4:15 p.m.
“The flames must have been 30-40 feet in the air,” said Brian Enos, who witnessed the explosion as he was driving home.
It appeared the machinery, owned by DMR Sealcoating of Auburn, was being loaded into the back of a company truck when it caught fire. Fire crews made quick work of the flames, but one man was burned and the machine was left blackened by the flames.
Enos described what he saw when the machine caught fire as he was driving by.