York woman badly burned as she siphons petrol in kitchen

Diane Hill, 46, of Acomb, York, was decanting petrol from one container to another when vapours ignited and set fire to her clothing, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

It is thought she may have had the cooker on as she transferred the fuel from “an appropriate petrol container” to a glass jug.

Next-door neighbour Margot Johnston, 86, said: “I had been gardening and came in to make myself a cup of tea and I was aware of a cloud of smoke coming over the hedge.

“I thought because it was a lovely day that they must be having a barbecue.

“Then I noticed there was someone in the garden who seemed to be on fire.

“One of the daughters was in the garden and I said ‘Have you phoned for the ambulance?’ and she said she had.

“Even all through the war I had never seen anything like it.”

Ms Johnston added that both of her neighbour’s daughters, Lauren and Grace, were in the garden at the time of the incident.

She said: “Diane had obviously got home and started to cook dinner while decanting petrol.

“Diane was conscious the whole time. They put her in the ambulance and took her away.”

Asked whether the threat of strikes by oil tanker drivers or poor advice from the Government were to blame, Ms Johnston said: “People are to blame for panicking, for panic-buying.”

Ms Hill is understood to have been transferred to a specialist burns unit at Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, Her condition is described as serious but stable.

Two firefighters put out the fire and removed the remaining petrol.

Peter Hudson of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said Ms Hill was transferring fuel after her daughter had asked for some petrol.

He said it was unclear whether the request was in response to the threat of strikes by fuel tanker drivers.

Lee Smith, manager of Acomb fire station, attended the scene.

He confirmed that the container Ms Hill was decanting from was a green jerry can.

He said: “It was a normal tea-time activity, cooking a meal, and the person (Ms Hill) was decanting from a petrol container into a glass jug.

“The vapour from the petrol was then ignited in the kitchen area. This resulted in spillage of the petrol and further flames which engulfed the person.

“We did locate a jerry can - the type of product you might buy at any petrol station to store petrol. There was a small amount of burning in the kitchen as well.

“We’d like to stress that people consider whether they really need petrol in their house, considering what’s topical at the moment.

“People fill at forecourts in a very safe and controlled area and once you move away from this, people might not be familiar with the potential that the vapour has of being ignited very, very easily.”

Mr Hudson warned people about storing petrol in their homes. He said: “Members of the public should take extreme care when handling and storing petrol and be aware of the risks associated with incorrect use and storage of fuel.

“In domestic situations fuel containers must not be stored in living accommodation such as kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms or under staircases.

“Any storage place should be well away from living areas and be secured to protect against the possibility of vandalism or arson.”

He continued: “Never bring petrol inside your home. If you do smell petrol fumes in a garage or outbuilding ventilate the area and make sure nobody smokes or turns electrical switches on or off. The slightest spark could cause an explosion.”

Labour MP Karl Turner (Hull East) joined calls for Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude to resign in wake of the incident if it is linked to his earlier calls for people to keep a jerry can of fuel.

He tweeted: “Francis Maude should resign if his politicking and unnecessary panic has led to York woman decanting petrol in kitchen suffering 40% burns.”

Mr Maude suggested on Wednesday that people should fill a jerry can with fuel in a bid to avoid disruption in the event of a strike.

Other members of the Government, including Transport Minister Mike Penning, have since retreated from the much-criticised suggestion.