A MAN was rushed to hospital at the weekend suffering burns to his face, arms and chest after he tried to light a bonfire with petrol.

Evesham firemen responded to the incident in Badsey Road, Evesham, at about 6.20pm on Sunday and the man was air lifted to Coventry Hospital.

The injuries, while described as ‘major’, aren’t thought to be life threatening.

This is the second incident in the Vale in the space of a month in which someone has tried to light a bonfire with petrol and ended up in hospital.

Garth Raymer, from Wick, was taken to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham after he suffered 20 per cent burns from pouring petrol on to a bonfire in his back garden.

Watch manager, Toby Kempton, from the Evesham station warned: “We advise people not to use petrol or any other accelerant for that matter to light a bonfire.

“Because of the time of year there tends to be a lot of controlled burnings as people cut their gardens back.

“But we advise they use kindling or paper, and to let the fire take hold itself. If it won’t take hold straight away, let the wood dry first.”