A man found on fire in Brooklyn on Monday afternoon was caught on surveillance buying gasoline and a lighter moments before he was found ablaze, sources report.
Cops say a 41-year-old man was discovered ablaze in an industrial area of Bushwick outside of 1177 Flushing Ave. By the time cops arrived, the victim was already being treated in the back of an ambulance. Firefighters reportedly found the man by wooden panels that were also burning.
According to a New York Daily News report, a local barber spotted the flames and rushed into action with a fire extinguisher. “I grabbed my fire extinguisher, and I literally said, ‘I don’t know what this will do, but let me go see,'” the barbershop owner told the outlet.
Cops say the man, who hails from the Bronx, suffered second- and third-degree burns to 72% of his body and was rushed to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center for treatment. He has since been transferred to Staten Island University Hospital.
While police say it was initially unclear how he became engulfed in the inferno, sources with knowledge of the incident report that the man himself was caught on surveillance video buying gasoline and a lighter from a nearby Mobil gas station.
The video, however, showed the man on fire, but it did not show how the fire started, it was reported.
Sources said that based on a preliminary investigation, it’s believed that the victim started the fire. FDNY marshals, however, will make the final determination about the cause.
