POCATELLO — An elderly man and his grandson remained hospitalized late Sunday after suffering injuries in a fire at their home during the early morning hours.

    Battalion Chief Ron Davies, of the Pocatello Fire Department, said the fire at the home on the 800 block of North Arthur Avenue started at about 12:30 a.m. on Sunday. By the time firefighters reached the home, the front room was fully engulfed by flames.

    He said there were several explosions in that area of the home as crews attempted to extinguish the blaze, creating some early difficulty in fighting the fire.

    “It appears the occupant was on oxygen and there were several oxygen bottles in there,” Davies said. “We didn’t know what it was at the time, but any time things start popping, it’s a bit worrisome.”

    The fire was under control within an hour, but one engine remained on the scene until the early afternoon, watching over hot spots and containing the scene until an investigator was able to do his job.

    Of significant concern, as the home burned, was a nearby home and business, which Davies said were in close proximity.

    He said no firefighters were injured in the fire.

    But two residents in the home, 73-year-old Jack Maher and his 15-year-old grandson, Joseph Maher, were injured. Jack sustained several significant burns while Joseph suffered a deep laceration to his arm during his attempt to escape the burning home, said Clayton Maher, son to Jack and father of Joseph.

    At 2:30 p.m., Maher said Joseph had just returned to his room at Portneuf Medical Center after surgery to repair his arm that began at about 2 a.m.

    “He sliced his arm between his elbow and his wrist nearly all the way to the bone,” Maher said. “They were repairing tendons, some muscle mass, a main artery and both main nerve endings going down to his hands.”

    Jack was transported to the University of Utah where he remains in critical condition in the hospital’s Burn Trauma Unit, a hospital spokeswoman said.

    Maher said his father has several significant health conditions and uses oxygen. Because of his difficulty getting around, Jack spends much of his time in the front room of the home where those oxygen bottles are kept.

    Although the official word will come from city engineers, Maher believes the home is a total loss. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that the home, which is still mortgaged, was not insured. The family is planning to start a fund at a local bank for those who want to help.