A 9-year-old boy was burned Sunday when his dirt bike caught fire in Biddeford.
The boy was in a parking lot off St. Joseph Street when he hit a curb, causing the dirt bike to fall before a flash fire broke out, according to Maj. Aaron Turcotte, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
When firefighters arrived, they found the boy with severe leg burns and the dirt bike with extensive burns to the seat and heat damage to the fuel tank and engine, Turcotte said Monday morning.
The boy was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland before being transferred to a specialized burn unit in Boston.
Investigators believe that gasoline escaped the dirt bike’s fuel system and ignited when it touched components of the hot engine.
The fire was ruled accidental.