WINSLOW — A man working on a snowmobile was taken to the hospital for treatment of hand burns after his sled burst into flames Friday morning in a garage off China Road.

The fire, which occurred about 10 a.m. at 831 China Road, started in a garage but caused little damage to the building’s interior — just a singed cement wall, according to Winslow Fire Chief David LaFountain.

This snowmobile was destroyed Friday morning after bursting into flames in a garage off China Road in Winslow. Staff photo by Colin Ellis

The snowmobile belonged to Chad Michaud, who did not live at the residence but was related to the owner, LaFountain said.

Michaud had brought the snowmobile into the garage to do some welding work on it, the fire chief said, Michaud apparently routinely used the heated garage to work on snowmobiles.

“Shortly after that, his girlfriend starting hollering ‘fire,'” LaFountain said.

LaFountain said Michaud was able to get the snowmobile out of the garage, after which it was fully engulfed in flames and destroyed.

“He just drove it into the garage. He didn’t get a chance to do anything,” LaFountain said.

The snowmobile was a 1994 model and had a full tank of gas, which LaFountain said kept the fire going. “The fire didn’t want to go out,” he said.

Michaud was taken in a Delta ambulance to the hospital, as his hands were burned by the plastic on the vehicle.

LaFountain said a pre-existing mechanical problem might have caused the snowmobile to catch fire.

“If he didn’t pull it out of the garage, there probably would have been a lot of damage,” he said.

Colin Ellis — 861-9253

cellis@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @colinoellis

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