DUNBAR, W.Va. — A Dunbar man and his five-year old son are recovering from second and third degree burns after an explosion Saturday night at their home on Dutch Hollow Road.
The father was using gasoline to try and build up a fire according to Dunbar Fire Chief Butch Ellis. The fire traveled back up into the gas can and blew up.
“Resident had a bonfire and used gasoline to build the fire up,” Ellis explained. “Fumes ignited, leading back to the gas can which exploded.”
The victims are identified as Heath Graley and his son Kyler Graley. The pair were transferred to the West Penn Burn Center in Pittsburgh where they were scheduled to have surgery Monday morning. Neighbors reported hearing a loud “boom” and then screaming at the scene.
“The dad, he was freaking out, you know, because of his son. He was more worried about his son than he was himself,” neighbor Rick Smith, told WSAZ. “His legs were burnt, bleeding. His hands was burnt, but he was more worried about the five year old than he was himself.”
Gasoline is far more combustible than other accelerant materials. It’s never recommended to use gasoline anywhere near an open flame said Ellis.
“It does happen every now and then, I’ve seen it a few times over the years,” he said. “Things go wrong.”