Horrific burns of mum, 57, engulfed in fireball when family barbecue went up in flames
Yvonne Morgan was 10ft away when the barbecue exploded, igniting her clothes
A MUM suffered horrific third degree burns when she was engulfed in a fireball that shot 10ft from a family barbecue.
Yvonne Morgan, 57, spent four months in hospital and is scarred for life after the explosion - sparked by fuel used to light the coals.
Yvonne, of Congleton, Cheshire, was sitting on a garden patio in front of an alleyway.
The flames burst out in her direction, igniting her clothes.
She : "It happened so quickly that I literally had time to just shut my eyes and I could instantly feel the intense heat all over my body.
“I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I think the flames headed for me because I was sitting in front of the alleyway.”
She was airlifted to hospital where she spent three days in intensive care.
Second and third degree covered 30 per cent of her body, including her face, arms, torso and legs.
Yvonne’s treatment continued when she was discharged four months later as she needed her dressings changed every other day for several months.
She has also had a number of operations including skin grafts since the accident in May 2014.
Four years on Yvonne said: "I want people to understand that they don’t have to be near to a barbecue for it to be dangerous. I was sitting 10ft away from this one.
“I know people won’t stop cooking outside as the weather warms up, but please do it safely and especially make sure that everyone keeps well away when a barbecue is being lit.”
Nick Evans of Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Yvonne is an extremely brave lady and I would like to thank her for helping us to get the message out to others about the dangers surrounding barbecues.
“By far the biggest danger is the use of flammable liquids to light the barbecue.
"We do not advocate putting anything onto the charcoal in an effort to get it going.
"The reaction in Yvonne’s case has, not surprisingly, been violent and highly dangerous, so please prepare well in advance and light the charcoal early.”
In February a mum revealed her horror burns after a guest poured fuel on a barbecue at a children's birthday party in Sydney.
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