Two Burned in Newburyport Dunkin’ Flash Fire

Two workers were seriously injured Friday morning while performing maintenance on a rooftop HVAC unit at a Dunkin’ in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Fire officials said an electrical arc ignited Freon or caused a fitting failure, resulting in a flash fire that burned one worker’s face, chest, and hands, and the other’s legs. Both victims sustained significant but non-life-threatening burns and were transported to a local hospital for treatment. Initial reports of an explosion were clarified; no explosion occurred, and the fire burned out before firefighters arrived, leaving the building undamaged. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and local inspectors have been notified and are investigating the incident. The cause of the flash fire remains under investigation by local and state authorities.