Man allegedly sets himself on fire outside Peterborough Regional Health Centre

A Peterborough man reportedly set himself on fire outside Peterborough Regional Health Centre on Wednesday afternoon.

According to the Peterborough Police Service, around 4:30 p.m., two officers and paramedics attending the hospital for an unrelated matter heard a commotion and witnessed a man engulfed in flames running toward the hospital’s emergency room entrance.

Police say the officers and EMS were able to use fire extinguishers to put out the fire before the man entered the hospital.

Medical staff looked after the 39-year-old man who was subsequently transferred to a Toronto-area hospital for treatment of his injuries, police said Thursday.

A witness told The Peterborough Examiner they saw the man exit a vehicle on Hospital Drive and douse himself in a liquid.

Police did not comment on the claim. Officers secured the area and were seen focusing on a SUV on the road.

“There is no evidence of this incident being criminal in nature,” police said. “Thank you to all who assisted in helping this individual.”