Man burned opening paint can with drill

A Spokane man on the North Side learned the wrong way for getting spray paint out of a can. Spokane fire officials said the man was seriously burned when he used a cordless drill to penetrate the can. The contents of the pressurized can released suddenly, and a small spark from the drill ignited a flash fire, burning the man’s face. He was taken to Deaconess Medical Center for treatment, the fire department said. The incident occurred on Saturday about 8 p.m. on the 1900 block of East Wellesley Avenue. The man’s name was not released. He is in his late 50s or early 60s. In a separate incident, a Spokane woman suffered life-threatening burn injuries when she went into a backyard fire pit in the 1600 block of North Cook Street about 1:40 a.m. on Sunday. The incident involving a second woman at the residence, who was not seriously injured, is under investigation, said Assistant Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer. The burn victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where she was reported in critical condition.