A backyard explosion in Tiffin sent a man to the hospital with serious injuries.

The Tiffin Police Department said police and fire responded to the 100 block of Bobb Street on Saturday afternoon on the report of an explosion behind a residence.

Officers arrived to find a 43-year-old man lying near a fire pit area.

Police believe the man used high octane racing fuel to ignite a fire, and he had a lit cigarette in his mouth at the time and an explosion occurred.

The man was treated on the scene and then taken to Tiffin Mercy Hospital and then flown to a Cleveland hospital due to the severity of his injuries.

The police department is investigating the explosion and believes it to be accidental.