A South Berwick man suffered second-degree burns after the makeshift shelter he was living in caught fire on Monday night.
The South Berwick Fire Department was called at 11:39 p.m. to a reported fire with a burn victim at 34 Boatyard Lane.
The victim, 78-year-old Steven Goodall, had driven to Cumberland Farms a mile away where he had called for help.
First responders arrived at the fire location and found the burnt remains of a small makeshift structure built of lumber and tarps where Goodall had been living.
Investigators from the state fire marshal’s office found a small portable propane heater and two spent propane cylinders. They believe the fire was started accidentally by the improper installation and use of the propane heater.
Goodall was initially taken to a local hospital with second-degree burns and later transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he is listed in serious but stable condition, according to the fire marshal’s office.