A Papamoa man engulfed in a fireball on Sunday has been released from Waikato Hospital today.
The 73-year-old man was urgently flown to the hospital after he was injured trying to burn rubbish.
St John ambulance team leader Gary Bishell said they were called to pick the man up from a Tauranga medical centre about 4pm.
The man suffered burns to his face and arms and was taken to Tauranga Hospital in a serious condition but was later transferred.
The man was attempting to dispose of some flammable material by incineration when the fire flashed over, engulfing him, a spokeswoman for Philips Search and Rescue Trust said.
The Hamilton based Westpac Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to Tauranga Hospital with a Waikato Hospital ICU team, to retrieve the man who required ''urgent helicopter transport'' due to an unstable medical condition.
A Waikato Hospital spokeswoman said the man was stable in a ward this morning and has since been discharged.