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Lewiston firefighters lower a victim Monday afternoon from a third-floor window of an apartment at 69 Horton St. in Lewiston during a reported structure fire. The cause of the fire was reported as fireworks being lit in the building. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — A 39-year-old man injured in a fireworks explosion Monday afternoon was flown to a Portland hospital where he was listed in critical condition Tuesday.

He has not been identified, Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss said in a news release Tuesday.

Police said the man was severely burned after he set off fireworks inside a third-floor apartment at 69 Horton St. Because of the severity of his injuries, he was placed in a rescue basket and lowered by a cable attached to a ladder truck.

He was flown by helicopter to Maine Medical Center in Portland. A witness said the man had suffered serious burns to his face and that he appeared to be having trouble with his throat.

When fire crews first arrived about 4:30 p.m. they found a mattress smoldering inside the apartment. The flames were snuffed out and the mattress dropped out a window.

Investigators said there were no other injuries and that the damage to the apartment was minimal.

The Lewiston Police Department, Lewiston Fire Prevention and Office of State Fire Marshal are investigating. Investigators did not specify which type of fireworks were involved.

Mark LaFlamme is a Sun Journal reporter and weekly columnist. He's been on the nighttime police beat since 1994, which is just grand because he doesn't like getting out of bed before noon. Mark is the...