By Ryan Mills
The Naples Daily News
GOLDEN GATE, Fla. — A Golden Gate man was hospitalized with burns Tuesday night after authorities say a lit candle in a duplex ignited fumes from a motorcycle the man was working on in the kitchen.
Around 10:58 p.m. Golden Gate firefighters received a call about a fire in a duplex at 2183 41st St. S.W., said department spokesman Victor Hill. About 15 firefighters were on scene by 11:03 p.m.
“The fire was pretty significant,” Hill said. “When they got there smoke and flames were showing. The initial radio call said the structure was fully engulfed.”
Two people were injured in the blaze.
The man who was working on the motorcycle was transported to Lee Memorial Hospital with burns. His name was not released. Witnesses told investigators the man had purchased the custom motorcycle on eBay.
Another person who went into the home, thinking someone else was inside, was also injured, but was treated at the scene, Hill said. That person’s name was also not released.
The duplex is owned by Ruben Romero, according to the Collier County Property Appraiser’s Web site.
Hill said the firefighters were able to contain most of the flames to the left side of the duplex, but there was smoke damage throughout the building. Firefighters didn’t clear the scene until 3:30 a.m.
The Red Cross, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, and EMS also responded to the fire.
It has been a busy week for Golden Gate firefighters, Hill said.
Around 11:35 a.m. Monday firefighters were called to a stove fire at 4160 20th Ave. S.E., Golden Gate Estates, that caused significant damage to the kitchen of the two-story home, Hill said. No one was injured in that fire.
Golden Gate firefighters also battled a brush fire Sunday, another stove fire Saturday and an electrical fire last Thursday, Hill said.
“It’s not unusual, but we periodically go through phases where we have a number of fires over a short period of time,” Hill said. “The thing that is troublesome about these fires is we’ve had a few stove fires. ...That is the number one reason why we have house fires, and its also something that can be prevented if people are mindful when they’re cooking.”