Gasoline and Leaf Burning Don’t Mix

But when they arrived, they found a man suffering from 3rd degree burns from, what he says, using a "small amount of gasoline" to burn leaves in a ditch.

Officials say this is never a good idea.

"People pour on what they consider a small amount of gasoline to get the leaves burning," Chattanooga Fire Chief Chris Adams said. "They walk away. Set the can back. While they’re walking away and setting the gas can down, the vapors are coming further and further out. And they come up and use a lighter or a match. And they bend over and now their hair is singed on their arms or on their heads or their clothes become fully engulfed."

Adams said it’s the vapors that spread and are invisible which are highly flammable and highly dangerous.

"People use gasoline when they shouldn’t. Gasoline is designed for your vehicles or small appliances you have like weed eaters, lawn mowers, things like that. But it’s readily available. We see it every day. We kind of become immune to the dangers of it. But it’s really as dangerous as having a stick of dynamite or maybe up to six sticks of dynamite with one gallon of gasoline."

Because gas vapor spreads quickly, the ensuing fire can cause substantial, deep burns.

ER nurses face the trauma of these preventable accidents frequently, more so with fall and spring yard cleaning.

"When you have a broader fire base, there’s a chance for greater surface damage and so it would be a more significant burn if it’s an ignition source like gasoline," said ER nurse Amanda Wolfe. "They’re extremely painful and take a long time to heal."