Tory MP Gordon Henderson reveals he set himself on fire by pouring petrol on bonfire

Seriously hurt: MP Gordon Henderson says he 'could have died' after his bonfire exploded, leaving him with 30 per cent burns to his body
Gordon Henderson/Facebook
Fiona Simpson9 August 2016

A Kent MP was left in agony with burns to 30 per cent of his body after his bonfire exploded when he doused it with petrol, the politician has revealed.

Gordon Henderson, 68, believes his is lucky to be alive following the terrifying ordeal in his garden which left him in hospital for 10 days.

The Conservative MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey revealed details of the incident in a post on Facebook, which included a picture of his in hospital being treated for his injuries.

He said he had built a new bonfire enclosure in his garden and used a small amount of petrol to get the fire going.

Describing the “scary moment” flames “exploded” and set him alight, he said: "When I lit the bonfire it was those fumes that exploded, not the petrol itself

"Because the fire was contained on three sides the exploding fumes had nowhere to go, except forward - towards me.”

The MP said that his left leg was the only part of his body to escape the ordeal “relatively unscathed”.

He claims he owes his life to quick-thinking wife Louise who doused him in water for 10 minutes using a nearby hosepipe.

Badly burned: Gordon Henderson suffered serious burns when his bonfire exploded, setting him alight
Gordon Henderson/Facebook

Mr Henderson said: "If she had not taken such immediate action then I might well be dead, and that is not being over dramatic.

"Thereafter our fantastic NHS kicked in and I found myself in the capable hands of a succession of caring health professionals."

The grandfather-of-seven was badly burned on his face, back, chest, arms and right leg but despite being in “agony”, did not need a skin graft.

The MP, who was transferred from minor injuries unit at Sheppey Community Hospital to the trauma unit at Tunbridge Wells Hospital by air ambulance, slammed his own actions as “foolish” and said he hoped others would learn from his mistakes

He added: "It appears that I am not the only stupid fool who uses petrol to start bonfires. Believe me, my action was foolish and is not something I will be doing again. Ever!"

Well-wishers took to Facebook to thank Mr Henderson for sharing his story.

Alan Bayford said: "Glad to hear you are recovering well and have learnt a very painful lesson. Something, I'm sure, you'd want us all to learn from. Get well soon, Gordon."

Richard Palmer added: "I wish you a very speedy recovery Gordon. Unfortunately this is a very common occurrence and lets hope people look at your injuries and stop using petrol as a means of lighting a fire."

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