A FIRE officer has issued a safety warning after a man suffered burns when he used petrol to light a bonfire.

Annie Davidson

A FIRE officer has issued a safety warning after a man suffered burns when he used petrol to light a bonfire.

The accident happened in the back garden of a house in Main Road, Dovercourt, just before midnight yesterday.

Firefighters from Dovercourt and Manningtree went to the incident and spent ten minutes putting out the flames.

Sub Officer Jason Whitnell from Dovercourt Fire Station said: “The man had lit a bonfire in his back garden and used petrol to get it started.

“The fire got out of control and caused the man to suffer from burns.

”Fire crews quickly extinguished the fire and stopped it from spreading.

”You should never use petrol or paraffin to help start fires or BBQs.

“If you do have garden waste that you need to dispose of, it is safer to bag it up and take it to your local recycling point and not to burn it.”