A boat exploded at a marine gas station last evening, burning one man. Moments later a jet ski rider raced to the scene and dragged the blazing vessel away from the dangerous location.

A man who was on the boat when it exploded suffered burns to his arms and was last night being treated at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, although his injuries are believed to be minor.

Jet ski rider Kyle Smith was riding nearby when the explosion occurred next to Dowling's Marine in St. George's. He quickly towed the burning boat away from the gas station.

"It was crazy," he said. "There was so much heat. I couldn't believe how much heat was radiating from this thing."

The student said he was riding in the harbour when he heard a loud pop. Looking around, he say the boat docked at the gas station with flames billowing from it.

"I went over and asked if I could do anything to help.

"They tossed me a rope, and I pulled it out to what I thought was a safe distance.

"I was s***ing myself. I had heard it pop already, but some of these boats have two tanks."

The duty officer at Harbour Radio said he could see the ship burn from their St. George's headquarters.

"She went up pretty good," he said.

"The entire thing was fully engulfed in about two or three minutes. Flames were reaching at least six feet over the boat.

"It's a good thing it was towed out. Things would have been a lot worse if it stayed at the gas station."

Chief Inspector Sean Field-Lament said that the boat burst into flames at around 6.47 p.m.

"The boat had pulled in for gas, and had been filled up. The pilot got out of the boat, paid, and went to start it.

"There were technical difficulties at that point. He attempted to start the boat again, and there was a loud pop or explosion.

"He jumped off the boat, but received burns to his arms and was brought to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital."

The injured man has not yet been named, but Ch. Insp. Field-Lament said that the burns suffered were minor.

Ch. Insp. Field-Lament praised efforts by the public to get the boat away from the gas station, saying: "We have to commend their quick thinking."

Fire Rescue workers arrived on the scene at 7.07 p.m, and while the flames were mostly extinguished by 7.30 p.m., the fibreglass husk of the 26-foot boat was still smouldering at 8 p.m.

"The damage is clearly extensive," said Ch. Insp. Field-Lament. "The boat had a full tank of gas, so there's really not much left. I'm just glad no one is seriously hurt."