One man was burned this morning while refueling a canister at a propane tank-filling depot in South Richmond.

The accident occurred shortly after 7 a.m. at a depot operated by Blossman Propane Gas & Appliance in the 1400 block of Gordon Avenue, just west of Commerce Road, in a large industrial park.

The man was taken to VCU Medical Center to be treated for first- and second-degree burns to his arms and legs, said Richmond fire Lt. Michael Oprandy.

The call originally came to emergency dispatchers as a man burned by a cell phone, but it turned out that static electricity caused the propane to catch fire while the man was refilling canisters, Oprandy said.

"The static discharge ignited a vapor," Oprandy said. "It’s been confirmed that he was not using a phone at the time. Static electricity is one of those invisible causes that can’t be pinpointed many times."

The fire was quickly extinguished and did not cause major damage to the terminal.

Even though possible use of a cell phone was ruled out, Oprandy said, it’s important to not use the devices in environments where flames or explosions are possible.

"Our stance is that there’s no reason why it can’t happen," he said. "Whether or not it happens one in a billion times, it’s still not worth the risk."

— Joe Macenka