Emergency crews were called to a fire on Burden Crescent in Ajax in the early afternoon on Jan. 8. - Jason Liebregts/Torstar
AJAX — One person suffered suspected serious burns in a fire Wednesday afternoon in Ajax.
Fire crews responded to a basement fire around 2:30 p.m. Jan. 8 on Burden Crescent in the Finley Avenue and Westney Road South area.
Ajax Deputy Fire Chief Dwayne Snell said two people in the home were taken to hospital, one with minor injuries and one with "more serious injuries."
The fire was contained to the house at 51 Burden. Initial reports had the fire starting in the basement of the home before spreading upstairs.
Dave Underhill said he "heard" the fire start.
"It sounded like a rumble and then I seen all the black smoke," Underhill said.
He went to the house and found his neighbour seriously injured.
"It was his head, back, shirt. The arms where all the skin was peeled off. It wasn't pretty," he added, noting the man seemed to be in shock.
"I tried to keep him from going back in," he said.
The husband and wife were both at home at the time of the blaze.
John Burton, who lives next door to the home, said the man smelled smoke in the basement and went to investigate.
When the man opened a basement door, the flames blew back and hit him.
"He opened up a door and that was it. It just blew up on him," Burton said.
Burton said his neighbour was trying to put out the fire himself.
"I guess it got away on him," he added.
Snell said the Ontario Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate.
There's no damage estimate yet, but the house is inhabitable.
Ajax Fire and Emergency Services had three pumper trucks, an aerial truck and command centre. There were 20 firefighters on the scene.
Link to original article on durhamregion.com: 'He opened up a door ... it just blew up on him:' 1 injured in fire at Ajax home