Garden Grove Man Badly Burned in Accident at Construction Site
A construction worker was critically burned Thursday when he dropped a match into a 5-gallon can of solvent after lighting a cigarette, officials said.
Bruce Wendl, 36, of Garden Grove suffered third-degree burns to 35% of his body, mostly on his legs and chest, said Johnna Rogovin, a spokeswoman at the burn center at Sherman Oaks Community Hospital.
The accident occurred about 7:28 a.m. on the ground below a high-rise building under construction at 3400 Riverside Drive, Fire Department spokesman Rich Kaufman said.
Five fire companies and an ambulance were dispatched to the scene, Kaufman said. The fire, which spread to some scaffolding, was already out when they arrived.
Wendl was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center, where he was stabilized and then transferred by helicopter to the burn center.
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