UPDATE: Burt's Reliable President in Critical Condition After Fuel Fire

John Romanelli, president of heating and cooling fuel company, was injured in a fuel fire at 7:16 a.m. Friday morning at the grounds of Burt's Reliable in Southold, reported Friday afternoon.

Romanelli, 47, of Southold was airlifted to Stony Brook Medical Center by Suffolk County Police medivac after a fuel hose from a bio-diesel fuel truck ruptured and sprayed a heat source that Romanelli was using, police said. Romanelli suffered burns to his body, police said.

Bob Ghosio, who works at Burt's Reliable but was not there at the time of the accident, said that Romanelli is currently in critical condition, but he did not yet know much about what happened or how it happened.

"All I know is that it was a freak accident, and that if it weren't for the quick thinking of the guys working around here and the professionalism of the it could have been worse," he said.

Ghosio said that there was no structural damage to any buildings on the grounds of Burt's Reliable from the fire.