ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. - Five Cities Fire responded to a the scene of a man who may have set himself on fire behind the old city hall on Bridge and Olohan Alley in Arroyo Grande.
Here is a the official release:
On September 3, 2012, at approximately 1230 hours, officers were dispatched to the Swinging Bridge in the Village of Arroyo Grande for a reported man on fire. Officers arrived on scene, along with the Five Cities Fire Authority and Five Cities Ambulance personnel.
As officers arrived on scene, several citizens successfully extinguished the male subject (estimated to be approximately 50 years old) on fire. Additionally, the foliage below the Swinging Bridge had caught fire. Fire personnel were able to quickly extinguish the fire below the bridge and medics transported the male subject to the Arroyo Grande Community Hospital Emergency Room.
The male subject sustained severe burns to most of his body and will be air lifted and transported to the Fresno Burn Center for treatment of injuries.
A witness told police personnel that he smelled what he believed to be gasoline coming from the men's public restroom, located near the corner of Olohan Alley and Short Street. The witness then saw a male subject fully engulfed in flames, running in a northerly direction across the Swinging Bridge. The male subject collapsed near a tree, just north of the Swinging Bridge, at which time several citizens rendered aid to the man.
This investigation is currently ACTIVE and no additional details are available at this time. An Arroyo Grande Police Department Detective and Arson Investigator have been assigned to follow-up on this investigation.
