A Pasadena man was in guarded condition last night after being pulled from the Ventnor marina after a boat fire in which he was badly burned.

Ronald George, 48, told authorities he had just refueled his 31-foot yacht and was trying to start the engine when a "flash fire" erupted in the cabin, county fire Division Chief John M. Scholz said.

George, whose arms, face and stomach were scorched, emerged from the cabin and dived into the water, Scholz said. Another boat owner pulled the man onto the dock, he said. The Ventnor marina is on Main Creek in northeastern Anne Arundel County.

George suffered second-degree burns over 60 percent of his body. He was airlifted to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Scholz said.

The fire probably started in the engine compartment, which was not properly ventilated, Scholz said.