COLUSA, Calif. (CBS13) – A man was killed in front of his son during an explosive accident in a rice field Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

The Colusa County Sheriff’s Office said a dispatcher received a call from a resident just before 1:30 p.m. reporting that a 7-year-old boy showed up muddy at their home, saying his father was on fire from an explosion.

Emergency crews rushed to the field near Westcott Road at Able Road, just south of Colusa, and found the boy’s father dead at the scene. The boy had run about two miles to get help after the accident.

Investigators said 43-year-old Robert Ayala apparently turned on an irrigation pump at an electrical switch just before the reported explosion. The cause of the explosion is under investigation by detectives, PG&E and Cal OSHA representatives.

The cause of death will not be officially released until an autopsy is completed Monday.