An explosion inside a garage on the Rockland waterfront sent three people to the hospital Thursday night, according to the Courier-Gazette.
Fire officials said the explosion and subsequent fire happened around 10 p.m., when one of the people inside the building at 9 Wharf St. was grinding metal too close to a barrel of acetone, igniting the vapors.
The three victims were taken to Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport, and one was later taken by Lifeflight helicopter to an undisclosed hospital’s burn unit. Fire officials didn’t release the names of any victims.
When fire crews arrived, there were a few small debris fires burning in the garage, which were put out using fire extinguishers. The injured building’s occupants had attempted to douse the flames on their own using extinguishers and a garden hose before reporting the fire.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office has been called in to investigate.