(Spencer)– Authorities say a Spencer man was seriously burned in an incident Tuesday evening.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office says it launched an investigation after receiving a call around 6:20 p.m. from Spencer Hospital stating that physicians were treating a person suffering from severe burns.
Deputies later learned that 79-year-old Verle Gustoff had been at 2580 390th Street when he became engulfed in flames. The flames somehow extinguished and Gustoff was able to contact family members, who responded and transferred him to Spencer Hospital. Gustoff has since been life-flighted to the Burn Unit at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
Authorities say that while the incident remains under investigation, that it appears the injuries may have been self-inflicted. The Iowa State Fire Marshall’s Office is assisting in the investigation.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office was assisted on the scene by the Spencer Police Department and the Dickens Fire Department.
