EAST FRANKLIN TWP — A woman suffered life-threatening burns over much of her body Monday morning when she apparently intentionally set herself on fire at a gasoline pump in the Franklin Village Shopping Center, authorities said.

Christine A. Mecca, 51, of Ford City appeared to have third-degree burns on at least 50 percent of her body, said Chief Mark Fenney of the East Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Department.

“She was very badly burned,” Feeney said.

East Franklin Township Police Sgt. William Evans said the burns were to her body, primarily from the waist down, and legs but not her face or arms

Police said Mecca, a pharmacist, earlier that day learned she had been fired from her job. Evans, however, would not say if that was a possibly reason for her actions.

Investigators said the woman caught fire shortly after 11 a.m. after driving to the pumps in front of the Shop ‘n Save supermarket.

A truck driver, meanwhile, who happened to be there suffered minor burns to his hands when he rushed in to help Mecca.

The woman told rescuers what happened was an accident.

“She told us she spilled gas on herself while attempting to light a cigarette,” Evans said.

Later, Mecca gave a different account, claiming she was trying to light a piece of paper on fire.

While Evans said the investigation continues, he doubted both stories.

“There was a strong odor of fuel,” Evans said. “The smell was too strong for it to be accidental.”

Police said there’s video proof, too.

A surveillance camera at the rear of the gas station reportedly showed her purposely dousing herself.

“She has a hold of the hose and is seen pouring gas on her vehicle and then on herself, from the waist down,” Evans said.

Because of the poor quality of the video, investigators could not make out what she used to allegedly ignite her gas-soaked clothing.

She was taken to ACMH Hospital, just one-half mile away, before being flown by medical helicopter to UPMC Mercy Hospital’s burn unit in Pittsburgh.

She was listed in critical condition this morning, a hospital spokesman said.

The initial call was startling to even the experienced staff at the Armstrong County 911 center.

“It came in as a woman on fire,” a dispatcher said.

Police, fire and ambulance crews were immediately dispatched.

But by then, Clifford Fennell of Ford City, a truck driver for Bradigan’s, a Kittanning-based petroleum transportation company, had stepped in on his own.

Fennell was there off-loading fuel into the gas station’s underground storage tank.

Authorities credited him with possibly saving the woman’s life and maybe averting a catastrophe.

“He saw her running between the pumps on fire and hit the emergency shut-off switch,” Evans said. “He knocked her to the ground, removed her clothes and beat them out.”

Greg Mitchell, a store manager, said employees and customers saw the fire and went outside to help the woman. He declined further comment.

A customer ran to his vehicle and got a blanket to smother the flames, Feeney said.

By the time firefighters got there, a Kittanning Ambulance crew was already treating the woman.

“She was conscious and screaming,” Feeney said. “She was in a lot of pain.”

Evans said he spoke Monday afternoon with Armstrong County District Attorney Scott Andreassi about the case.

“We just wanted to talk about what kind of charges we might file,” Evans said, “if she survives.”