UPDATE: N.Y. man injured in fire at carnival food stand near Susquehanna Valley Mall
May 13—A 41-year-old New York man was flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital Wednesday afternoon after a fire erupted amid trucks parked at the Susquehanna Valley Mall as part of a traveling carnival food event.
Michael Santillo Sr., of Prattsburgh, N.Y., was in critical condition with severe burns late Wednesday afternoon, but is expected to survive, state police Fire Marshal James Nizinski said.
The fire was accidental and appears to have been caused by a malfunction of a propane tank or a faulty gas line, he said.
Santillo was cooking in the food tent at about 2 p.m. when flames erupted after being sparked by a malfunction of a propane tank or faulty gas line, according to a release by state police at Selinsgrove.
The fire happened about three hours after Santillo and employees with his company, C. Santillo Enterprises, set up five food vending units in the mall parking lot, mall Manager Margie Deppen said.
The company was beginning a five-day stay at the mall.
"Without fairs (due to COVID-19), they've been traveling around to places to make money," said Deppen, who bought lunch there shortly before the fire broke out.
Santillo was taken by ambulance from the lot to the nearby Penn Valley Airport where a Life Flight helicopter flew him to the hospital.
"It was very upsetting," said Deppen.
