‘Keep him in your prayers:’ Cook burned in Bluffton Fat Patties flash fire has surgery

A cook at the Bluffton Fat Patties is expected to undergo surgery on Thursday after a flash fire in the restaurant’s kitchen Wednesday afternoon left him with second-degree burns.

The male employee was burned from his hands to his elbows on both arms, on the top portion of his thighs and on his face and neck around 1:30 p.m., according to Nick Borreggine, owner of the restaurant. Gas in the stove’s burner built up and traveled to another appliance next to it, igniting a pilot light on that appliance, causing the flames to “blow” the employee back, Borreggine said.

“He’s awake and going into surgery,” Borreggine said. “At this point, we are hoping that he won’t lose the use of any of his limbs, though that’s unlikely.”

Borreggine declined to provide the paper with the victim’s name, citing privacy concerns, but added that the man has worked for the restaurant for approximately a year and a half.

After the flash fire, the man was flown to a burn center in Augusta. The Bluffton Township Fire District responded to the scene and a fire marshal is investigating the cause of the flames.

Since the incident, the restaurant has pulled out all of its equipment to be checked and scheduled a leak test.

Borreggine said he plans to re-open on Friday, but is making safety the first priority.

“We aren’t going to rush it,” he said. “We are going to make sure everything is working properly. ... Please keep (the employee) in your thoughts and prayers.”

This story was originally published July 6, 2017 at 12:57 PM with the headline "‘Keep him in your prayers:’ Cook burned in Bluffton Fat Patties flash fire has surgery."