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A bizarre welding accident claimed the life of an 83-year-old Spotsylvania County man yesterday.
Claude Elton Hairfield was welding a fender onto a trailer in his yard at 4304 Mine Road about noon when sparks set his clothes on fire, according to Capt. Doug Albrecht, Spotsylvania's fire and rescue services spokesman.
Hairfield's wife, Clara, called 911 and reported seeing her husband rolling in the yard with his clothes on fire. Grass and a wood pile were also burning, Albrecht said.
By the time rescue workers arrived just a few minutes later, Hairfield--a retired welder--was dead from severe burns.
"Welders are around these kinds of sparks all the time, so there's an ever-present hazard," Albrecht said. "This was just so tragic."
Hairfield's home is only two doors down from the Four-Mile Fork Fire Department, so Albrecht said many county firefighters knew him well.
"I considered him a personal friend," Albrecht said. "His passing is truly a loss for the community."
Albrecht said an investigation revealed that Hairfield was sitting in a metal chair working on the fender when the sparks landed on him.
A 30-foot trail of burnt clothing fragments led to the spot where he collapsed and died, officials said.
His wife just happened to be looking out the window about the time the fire started. She was not physically capable of helping him, Albrecht said, so she called 911 and Hairfield's sister, who lives another two doors away.
Winds of 15 to 20 mph helped the fire spread rapidly, Albrecht said. As part of the investigation, pieces of Hairfield's clothing were sent to the state lab.
A Spotsylvania native, Hairfield was born and reared near what is now Lake Anna. He worked as a welder in the Baltimore shipyards during World War II, and he later was a welder at the former FMC plant here.
He maintained a small welding shop at his home and was active in a number of area activities, Albrecht said.
Funeral arrangements were incomplete this morning.