Scottsdale burns victim warns of dangers of accelerant

A farmer who suffered severe burns hopes his story will act as a warning to others about the dangers of using accelerants to light fires

Marcus Casey at the Royal Hobart Hospital burns unit after being burnt lighting a fire with petrol. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

A SCOTTSDALE farmer almost burnt alive in a backyard accident hopes sharing his story will prevent others from making the same mistake he did.

Marcus Casey suffered burns to 10 per cent of his body when flames shot up his arm while he was burning rubbish in 44 gallon drums on his property on August 4.

Speaking from his bed in the Royal Hobart Hospital, he said he added accelerant — petrol and diesel — to the junk pile to speed up the process, as he had done countless times before, when things went “pear shaped”.

Tasmanian Burns Unit and Fire and Health Service burns prevention information warns people “never to use accelerants to assist in lighting a fire”.

Mr Casey said he was complacent and had now learned his lesson and wanted people to know how quickly it could go wrong.

“If I can just stop one other person being in my plight,” he said.

“It bloody hurts. Just stop for five seconds and have a think about it, that’s all I want anyone to do.

“I’m probably a hypocrite because I’m the bloke who did it, but I’d just like a few other people to realise just how pear shaped it can go.”

After his right arm, rib cage and neck caught alight, Mr Casey managed to rip his shirt off, which degloved two fingers and his thumb, and he sprinted inside his house and jumped in a cold shower.

Paramedics arrived within 15 minutes before he was taken to the Scottsdale Hospital and flown to RHH about four hours after the accident.

Last Thursday he underwent surgery where skin grafts from his thigh were transplanted to 50 per cent of his burns. He said he’s looking at 12 months of recovery, but was confident he would get the full use of his arm back.

Since the accident, friends and the local community have raised more than $12,000 on GoFundMe to help the family.

His wife Mandi said they couldn’t thank everyone enough.

“It’s been an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “It’ll help us keep going, it takes a fair bit of pressure off us.”

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