AUBURN — A worker was injured Thursday afternoon after a fueling accident led to fire around a manhole at a construction site on Court Street.

Police and fire crews were called out to the area of 60 Court St. at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday for a report of flames shooting out of a manhole.

Firefighters arrived in less than a minute and found “a significant fire on the ground and into the manhole,” according to an Auburn Fire Department press release.

The flames were knocked down in minutes but it took several hours for crews to snuff out underground hot spots, according to the release.

“The cause of the fire is believed to be related to a fueling accident at the construction site that ignited the underground resin liner that was being installed,” fire officials said.

The injured worker was taken to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. His identity was not released and the extent of his injuries was not known. Witnesses reported it appeared the worker had been “badly burned.”

While the fire was being controlled, police and Auburn Public Works shut down several streets and intersections around the scene, advising motorists to avoid the area if possible.