Man burnt in a flash

A FIRE in a Dandenong backyard turned into a nightmare when it burnt a man’s face and hands.
The 36-year-old Dandenong man was treated my paramedics after he added petrol to a fire to ignite it and it flashed back.
Paramedic Robbie Irving said he arrived at the scene just after 6am on Friday 9 September to find the man in the shower, who had suffered burns.
“The man had apparently used some petrol to ignite a fire in the backyard and unfortunately the fire flashed back and burnt him in the face and right arm,” Mr Irving said.
“The man stripped down and went into the shower to cool the burns but the water was a bit cold and it dropped his body temperature.”
Mr Irving said it was important to run cool water over burns but avoid putting someone in a cold shower because they can develop hypothermia.
The man was taken to The Alfred hospital in a serious condition.