Moss Vale man, 26, suffers serious burns after ‘explosion’ at BD’s Woodfired Pizza & Pasta in Bowral

A staff member at a Bowral pizza shop has been airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital’s burns unit after the incident on Tuesday afternoon.

A man was burned in an “explosion” in Bowral. Picture: Niki Iliagoueva

A Southern Highlands man has suffered significant burns after an “explosion” at a pizza shop on Tuesday.

At around 1.30pm NSW Ambulance paramedics were called to the store on the corner of Bong Bong St and Wingecarribee St in Bowral, following reports that a 26-year-old man was suffering serious burns to his face and arm.

Acting Inspector Todd Swinerton said the Moss Vale man was in a “critical but stable condition, suffering from burns after there was an explosion at the pizza shop”.

The 26-year-old man suffered serious burns at BD’s Woodfired Pizza & Pasta in Bowral on Tuesday April 19. Picture: Niki Iliagoueva

Several ambulance cars, a Fire and Rescue truck, a rescue helicopter and a few police cars attended the incident. Picture: Niki Iliagoueva

He said the staff member of BD’s Woodfired Pizza & Pasta had been injured while trying to light the pizza oven.

“He was lighting the pizza oven and something’s gone wrong and it’s flashed back into his face, so he’s got flash burns to his face and right arm,” Acting Inspector Swinerton said.

The owner of the restaurant said he was “shell-shocked” and is not opening on Tuesday night due to the incident.

The man was treated by paramedics at the scene, where police and a Fire and Rescue truck also attended.

He was then transported to Loseby Park and, at about 2.30pm, was flown to the burns unit at Royal North Shore Hospital via rescue helicopter.