CLINTON - Fire Chief Jeff Heser, a town Public Works Department employee, suffered second-degree burns to about one-third of his body when a gasoline-powered leaf vacuum exploded early Tuesday.
Flown to the Bridgeport Hospital burn unit by LifeStar helicopter, Heser, 38, was reported in guarded condition by hospital representatives late Tuesday afternoon.
An employee of the town's Public Works Department since 1989, Heser was attempting to coax a leaf vacuum into life by priming its engine's carburetor with gasoline, police reported.
But when he started the machine, it exploded, spraying burning fuel over his face and upper body, police said.
A number of DPW employees, like Heser, also are trained volunteers in the fire department, and police said Heser's comrades immediately leaped to his aid, cutting off his burning clothes and providing emergency treatment until medics arrived.
"He had second-degree burns on his face and upper body, and maybe third-degree burns on his hands. Luckily, he wears glasses that kept flames from his eyes," said First Selectman William Fritz, who went to the scene after hearing the emergency communications radio report an explosion with injuries at the DPW facility on Nod Road.
Fritz said Heser was talking as the medics moved him to the helicopter. "He was busting my chops, telling me to be sure I called workmen's compensation," Fritz said.
Of Heser, Fritz said, "Jeff is a great guy and very dedicated to the town. He's become a crew leader in the DPW and also is fire chief. This is tough on him, tough on his family, and tough on the town. Everybody's shook up, there's no doubt about it.
"It's been a bad day," he remarked.
A member of the fire department for more than 15 years, Heser was elected fire chief after the resignation of Scott Andrews in November 2005, and is serving his second term in the office. He and his wife, Paula, the town's assistant tax collector, are parents of two young children.
Assistant Fire Chief Brian Manware said the fire service volunteers "were all pretty shaken up" by the accident, but department spirit had improved when word came that Heser's "prognosis is good."
"He's held in very high regard," Manware said of the chief. "Our prayers are with him, and members of both Clinton's fire service and those in neighboring towns have offered their assistance to the family."
Republished with permission from The Middletown Press
