Bemidji Boy Severely Burned in ATV Fire

A Bemidji boy needs surgery after sustaining severe burns in an ATV accident on Monday.

The incident occurred when the vehicle, which was driven by a friend of 14-year-old Gabe Schwarzlander, hit a bump and the engine caught fire. Gas cans in the back of the Polaris Ranger splashed onto the engine, creating the blaze.

The two were driving in an area near Leonard, Minn.

Schwarzlander was taken to to a hospital in Bagley before getting airlifted to Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, N.D. After Sanford doctors decided he needed the attention a burn unit, he was transferred to the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

People can donate to a GoFundMe page that’s meant to help the Schwarzlander family deal with financial concerns by visiting www.gofundme.com/GabeSchwarzlander.

Schwarzlander is expected to have surgery next week, according to his family.