SALEM TOWNSHIP — A Salem man received burns and suffered from smoke inhalation while trying to put out a fire in his garage Thursday night, Salem fire Chief Steve Viles said.

Jason Pinkham of 1600 Bubier Road turned on a space heater in his attached garage and entered his home for a few minutes, Viles said. When he returned, he discovered that the garage was full of smoke.

Pinkham was able to get his car out of the garage and spread water on the fire but received some burns on his arms and suffered from smoke inhalation, Viles said. 

A NorthStar ambulance responded to the 10:15 p.m. call, but Pinkham went to Franklin Memorial Hospital by a private car. He was treated and released, according to a hospital spokesman.

Viles said the fire is believed to have started from something that was too close to the space heater. The garage received a lot of damage but the attached home was spared, he said. 

Firefighters found that Pinkham had put out most of the fire, he said. They finished watering it down and helped move other items out of the garage, he said.

Mutual aid from Phillips, Kingfield and Strong was called. There were about 25 firefighters at the scene.

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