OXFORD – An Oxford firefighter suffered smoke inhalation injuries Monday after the flooded basement he and another crew member were pumping out suddenly burst into flames from an unknown amount of spilled gasoline.

Oxford Fire Chief Ron Martin Jr. said long-time Oxford firefighter Shane Ingraham was treated with oxygen at the scene and taken to Chenango Memorial Hospital as a precaution before being released later in the day.

The fire began at around 12:45 p.m. Monday afternoon while Ingraham and another Oxford firefighter, Alan Ross, were pumping water from the basement of a residence at 13 Butler St. in the Village of Oxford. The Fire Dept. was called by the homeowner after a significant amount of runoff began striking the side of the two-story home during yesterday’s rain showers, filling the basement and seeping into the home from beneath the front door.

“At about 10:45 or 11 this morning, the weather started kicking up and brought a stream of water down off the hill right into the side of the house, bursting into the porch,” said Nate Twitchell, one of the home’s occupants, Monday.

Twitchell said his girlfriend, who owns the home, called the fire department for help. The two firefighters then arrived a short time later with equipment and started pumping out the accumulated water from an outside entrance to the basement.