Police say a man has been hospitalized with severe burns after an underground gasoline tank in Sea Cliff caught fire.

In photos from the scene, thick plumes of black smoke can be seen billowing up from the ground.

The incident happened around 5:30 p.m. at the Shell Gas station on Glen Cove Avenue.

Sources tell News 12 a man used a shopvac to vacuum up some of the gasoline from the spill-over bucket, but the vacuum exploded.

The unidentified man was airlifted to the hospital with severe burns.