Fuel tanker catches fire at New Smyrna Beach gas station, injures 3

A fuel tanker caught fire at a gas station in New Smyrna Beach Monday while pumping gas from an underground tank injuring three people, two who were flown to an Orlando hospital, fire officials said.

Volusia County dispatchers said the fire was reported at 11:57 a.m. at the Banana/Texaco formerly Little Sammy's at 1121 S. Dixie Freeway.

New Smyrna Beach police Lt. Chris Kirk said the fire closed off the road in front of the gas station. Firefighters said the fire was knocked down at 12:18 p.m.

In other news: FHP: 2 Orlando women killed in separate crashes in Volusia, Flagler

And: Orlando woman killed in Sunday crash east of DeLand

According to New Smyrna Beach Fire Department Chief Shawn Vandemark, preliminary findings indicate a contractor was pumping out gas from the underground fuel tank to when the fire occurred.

A generator running nearby possibly ignited the vapors from the fuel, Vandemark said.

"When they are removing the fuel, vapors build up and we believe those vapors ignited due to some other equipment (generator) that was running nearby," the chief said.

Three people were injured, including two men who suffered second-degree burns. The men were airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center, Vandemark said.

Another person was treated at the scene of the fire, he said.

An investigator from the State Fire Marshal's Office has been called to investigate the incident due to the injuries, the fire chief said.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Three people injured in tanker fire in New Smyrna Beach