Story courtesy of WMWV Radio, 93.5 FM, Conway.

Freedom — June 24, 2011 — The fire chief in Freedom fire says a man in his 50s injured his knee Wednesday afternoon during a boating incident in Freedom. Gene Doe says his department and North Conway ambulance responded to 11 Whispering Pines Lane at Totem Pole Park shortly before 1 p.m. after a report a boat was burning in the water.

The chief called for additional help from departments in West Ossipee, Madison and Effingham.

Doe says the large inboard was actually on a trailer and only about 15 feet from a residence when electricity from a vacuum the victim was using near the engine compartment ignited fuel vapors and the boat started burning. Firefighters smothered the boat with foam. They then stripped heat damaged vinyl siding from a nearby building and used a thermal imaging device to make sure there were no hot spots.

The victim was taken to Huggins Hospital in Wolfeboro to be checked out and he was later released. No firefighters were injured and they cleared the scene around 3:30 p.m.