WEST JORDAN, Utah – A man was flown to a hospital in critical condition after he burned himself while pouring gasoline on a fire Wednesday night.
The West Jordan Fire Department said the man was burning weeds and trash in his backyard when he decided to accelerate things.
The man used a gas can to pour gasoline over the fire, and the flames traveled up into the can, causing it to burst. Witnesses said the 67-year-old man was engulfed in fire for about a minute.
“But especially when you have open flames and you have a fire, don’t ever take any type of flammable liquid—hairspray, kerosene, gasoline—and spray it into an open flame, because this is a perfect example of what can happen,” said Battalion Chief Bryan Crump of the West Jordan Fire Department.
The man suffered burns, up to second-degree, on 40 percent of his face and torso. He was taken to a hospital via helicopter in critical condition Wednesday night.
Fire officials said residents can have fire pits, but they are prohibited from burning weeds or trash in residential areas. Burns can be carried out on areas 5 acres or larger if the person secures a permit.
