Flaming Dessert Mishap Burns 4 at Restaurant

We could soon learn the identities of four customers who were burned Saturday night at Palm Harbor's Ozona Blue Grill, when a food server ignited a flaming dessert at their table and the fire spread, burning them.

Two of the customers received burns that were serious enough for them to be airlifted to Tampa General Hospital.

Palm Harbor Fire Rescue EMS Chief, Bob Markford says it happened just before nine. 151 proof rum was used to ignite the bananas foster and the burning rum splashed onto the customers.

Four customers who were seated at the table were burned. Markford says two customers were airlifted to Tampa General Hospital. One was a 25 year-old female who suffered severe 1st and 2nd degree burns on 10 percent of her body. The other was a 56 year-old female who suffered from minor burns and respiratory burns from inhaling the heated gas.

Two other customers were burned but refused treatment, a 58 year-old female with burns on her left knee, and a 25 year-old male with burns on his right knee. The names of the injured customers have not been released.

Markford says the restaurant staff responded quickly, "Employees grabbed fire extinguishers and extinguished the fire, another employee helped one of the women whose shirt caught fire."

He says it happened at  table near the front door and there was no damage to the restaurant because the fire was extinguished quickly.

Palm Harbor Fire Rescue sent three fire engines and one ladder truck, Dunedin Fire Rescue also responded.

The Ozona Blue Grilling Company is located in the Home Port Marina.