Woman burned following mini explosion at barbecue

A 42-year-old woman was taken to hospital after being burned following a mini explosion at a barbecue in the garden of a house on Lily Street in Milnrow at 4.35pm on Tuesday 9 July.

Crew Manager Kristian Meredith said: "When we arrived we found the woman lying in the paddling pool and the gas barbecue on fire, we put it out with a hose.

"A Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service trauma technician applied burns dressings to her face and arms before she was taken to hospital for checks.

"She was very lucky that the paddling pool was there - her hair caught fire after the rubber gas pipe leaked. After a couple of minutes there was a mini explosion and it caught fire, catching her face and part of her arm.

"For anyone planning barbecues in the warm weather and getting their gas barbecues out of storage, check the gas pipes for any ruptures before lighting them to avoid this kind of fire."

Chair of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor David Acton said: "We want everyone to enjoy the hot weather safely, this woman was lucky her injuries were not much worse.

"Thankfully she has been discharged from hospital but this incident shows how important barbecue safety is.

"It is so important to only light a barbecue with recognised lighters or starter fuel, never use petrol or paraffin and you should always keep them well away from fences, windows and bushes, anything that could easily catch fire.

"Like any kind of cooking you should never leave it unattended and always check it is properly extinguished and cooled before leaving it.

"We advise people to keep a bucket of water or a hosepipe nearby and be mindful if drinking alcohol which can increase the risk of an accidental barbecue fire starting."