Courtesy Photo

There was an accident at the Bear Creek Water Treatment Facility Thursday around 11:00 a.m. Barry Hill, facility manager, was working a controlled burn on the premises when he was injured after a container of accelerant caught fire in his hands. Hill sustained serious burns to his head, hands, chest, and legs and was airlifted from the scene to UAB Hospital in Birmingham. 

Bear Creek residents reported hearing an "explosion." However, no equipment malfunctioned, and there were not any other types of explosions at the facility. Also, there was not any contamination of drinking water or any other type of risk to the area from this incident.