Man Severely Burned in Explosion at Paint Plant

WILLIAMSPORT, MD - A Waynesboro man is in critical condition after being severely burned during an explosion at the Rustoleum plant in Williamsport.

Michael Burton, Jr., 30, has third degree burns to his face, shoulders, and back. Fire officials say that's probably because the fire flashed in his face and he turned away. Now he's  in critical condition at the Bayview Burn Center in Baltimore.

Crews were called to the Rustoleum plant on Industrial Lane around 7:20 Wednesday morning.

It took nearly 40 firefighters about 20 minutes to get the blaze under control.

Several other employees were evacuated until the building was cleared.

A Maryland State Police helicopter was called to the scene to have Burton airlifted for treatment.

At this point, investigators have an idea what sparked the fire. They say Burton was pouring aluminum paste into a large mixing vat. They believe what he was wearing may have had a role in igniting some of the vapors from the chemicals.

"The most probable cause was he was wearing a nylon jacket at the time while he was doing this. Nylon is known to cause static build-up and we believe it might have had a static charge," says Ed Ernst, Maryland State Fire Marshal.

Fire officials say the sprinkler system in the building played a big role in controlling the blaze so no other combustibles ignited.

Fire marshals are still reviewing the damages, but estimates are exceeding $100,000.