Fire marshal findings reveal cause of Fat Patties fire that badly burned employee

A flash fire that left a Bluffton Fat Patties employee badly burned has been deemed an occurrence of “human error” due to “lack of maintenance on equipment,” according to the Bluffton Township Fire District.

The July 5 fire was reported around 1:30 p.m. and left cook Colin Christensen severely burned.

Capt. Randy Hunter of the fire district released the fire marshal’s findings about the cause of the flash fire on Friday, but he declined to offer further details.

The newspaper has requested the fire marshal’s full report.

Christensen was flown from the scene to a burn center in Augusta for treatment until he was able to return to his Port Royal home. He was treated for burns from his hands to his elbows on both arms, the top portion of his thighs, and on his face and neck, according to Nick Borreggine, owner of the restaurant.

Borreggine previously said he believed the gas in a stove’s burner built up and traveled to another appliance next to it, causing the flash fire when the pilot light on the second appliance was ignited.

Two calls made to Borreggine on Friday to inquire about the fire marshal’s findings were unsuccessful.

No damage to the building was reported, and the restaurant was closed for a day as equipment was inspected.

This story was originally published July 14, 2017 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Fire marshal findings reveal cause of Fat Patties fire that badly burned employee."