A boat parked at the Saco Yacht Club exploded Monday morning, and its owner, who was on board, suffered burns and a broken hip, authorities said.

Saco firefighters were called to the club at 8:49 a.m. for a report of an explosion. There was no fire but the blast sent debris flying, including the whole center console and Bimini top, said Deputy Fire Chief David Pendleton.

The owner, Marco Lamothe, 53, of Saco, had been working on the boat while it sat on a trailer in the club’s parking lot, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office. He was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland.

Lamothe was using an open flame to loosen a hose to the boat’s live fish well, and that apparently ignited gasoline fumes, according to the fire marshal’s office.

Witnesses who arrived immediately after the explosion said the boat was not on fire, though one used a fire extinguisher to put out a small flame on the top, Pendleton said.

The boat has an outboard engine and the fuel tank is located below deck, Pendleton said. Somehow, fumes from the fuel system apparently accumulated, he said.

A spokeswoman for Maine Medical Center said it had no information about a patient by Lamothe’s name.

Pendleton urged boat owners to be careful whenever they smell gasoline fumes and to be sure not to do anything that might cause a spark. Some boats have a blower used to vent fumes from the bilge, especially after fueling, although this one, with an outboard motor, probably did not have a blower, he said.

The boat is a 22-foot center console used by Keeper Charters.