A middle-aged man found in flames behind a Birkenhead restaurant was taken to Auckland Hospital in a serious condition last night.
The man, found behind Chilli Indian restaurant in Hinemoa St, Birkenhead, is now in a critical but stable condition at Middlemore Hospital, where he is in an induced coma.
The restaurant's co-owner, Virender Singh, was showing a friend the car park when they saw what they thought was cardboard burning.
But the friend, Angrej Singh, realised it was a man in flames and the pair ran to help.
![Photo / Daniel Hines](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/ILMUCQOOMFQQWCNP6BGYXLMT7M.jpg?auth=a14a26799eae5696c703fb006a63affdd664f227916ad0cc41a08bd239ddbe33&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)