Man engulfed in flames at allotment

A man has been burnt whilst working on his allotment in Goms Mill, London.

The 44 year old had been burning rubbish at the allotment and had used petrol to ignite the fire.  As the man added more rubbish, the flames leapt out of the container and set fire to his clothing which had become soaked with petrol fumes.

Luckily his friend ran to help him by putting water and soil on him and rolling him on the ground to try and extinguish the flames.

The man suffered burns to his right hand, arm and his face and was taken to University Hospital of North Staffordshire.

Mick Daniel of Longton Fire Station said: “The safety message here is not to use accelerants to get fires going, as the fumes are invisible but still flammable. The man has suffered from burns and is now in hospital so we would urge anyone who does intend to burn items to do so in a controlled manner. They should also make sure the fire is a safe distance away from any property, hedges or flammable materials.”