Arson May Be To Blame For Keys Vehicle Fire That Injured 1

MARATHON (CBSMiami) - A possible case of vehicle arson in the Florida Keys sent one man to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami with severe burns early Friday morning.

The fire happened outside the Dog House bar at 107th Street in Marathon, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

The initial call came in around 3:43 a.m. from a person at the bar. The caller said they were trying to evacuate everyone from the bar just in case the fire got worse.

One man was found to have been injured in the fire. 52 year old Jose Gonzales of Homestead was airlifted to Miami.

Major Crimes Detective Manny Cuervo said it appears Gonzales was inside the cab of his work truck, possibly sleeping or resting when someone appears to have lit it on fire by tipping over a gas can and lighting the fuel.

Gonzales worked for Florida Paving and Trucking Incorporated out of Homestead. Also on the truck was a generator and a tank of diesel fuel. There were several explosions reported as the truck burned.

Investigations are continuing. The Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit and the Fire Marshalls Office are working together on the case.