Update: Jay Leno suffers “serious” burns in car fire
Jay Leno “could have died in the fire that erupted in his Burbank garage—it was that serious—and we’ve learned it was a friend of his who may have saved his life,” reports TMZ.
“Jay tells TMZ from his hospital bed that he was working on his 1910 White Steam Car [below] in his famed garage this past Saturday, fixing a clogged fuel line. He says there was a fuel leak and gasoline sprayed on his face and hands. Almost simultaneously a spark triggered an explosion, setting the comedian on fire. Jay, who was rushed to a nearby burn center by ambulance, says he expects to be hospitalized for somewhere between 5 and 10 days.”
Leno said his “quick-thinking buddy Dave was right there and jumped on him, quickly smothering the flames. The left side of Jay’s face was badly burned … His hands were burned as well. He says he’s now dealing with third-degree burns and may need skin grafts. The burns did not damage his eyes or his ears.”
Steam cars use gasoline or kerosene to fuel the burner, which heats the boiler, to generates the steam needed to propel the car.
Leno is now in an L.A. burn center. He was in his Burbank garage in California where he stores his massive car collection when the fire happened. He was listed in stable condition as of this writing.
“I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire. I am OK,” reads a statement from Leno to Variety. “Just need a week or two to get back on my feet.”
He was taken to the burn ward at Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles where he remains. Grossman Burn Centers “are plastic surgery-based medical centers of excellence specializing in the comprehensive treatment of burns—from acute care and reconstruction, to rehabilitation and psychological counseling,” says the Center’s website.
TMZ says Leno has cancelled all his engagements for two weeks. He was supposed to appear at the Financial Brand Forum on Sunday at the Aria in Las Vegas, but organizers said there was a “very serious medical emergency” that prevented him from showing.
Leno, 72, is of course the standup comic who hosted the Tonight Show on NBC until he retired to pursue his car-collecting hobby full-time. His knowledge of automobiles and motorcycles is near-encyclopedic. (He also owns multiple steam cars besides the 1910 White.) He hosts Jay Leno’s Garage on CNBC, and a remake of Groucho Marx’s You Bet Your Life that is in syndication.
We’ll update the story as more information comes in. We wish our columnist and friend a speedy recovery.
If it happened to Joe Average …. We,d never hear of it. Accidents happen. To all of us.
Best wishes on a very speedy recovery to Jay.
Wishing you the very best J we all love you here at BlackTie Classics thank you for the update on the steam engine car the white it was very educational.
I am praying for a speedy and easy recovery. Jesus loves you.. from another car nut.
Jay: All of us in Newport are wanting your quick and full recovery. Anything we cn do is just for the asking. your friend with the Model A Phaeton. Rick
I kind of panicked when I heard this because my good friend had a similar accident many years ago. Glad to hear it didn’t affect eyes and ears. There’s some things even a 3D printer can’t make, yet. Also good to know that he had a quick acting friend there to help. Get well soon, Jay!
So sorry to hear this happened to you, Jay! Please get well soon, my friend!
Tim Allen visited Jay in the hospital today and said Jay was going to look like George Clooney when he got out….Get better Guys !
So sorry to hear of this unfortunate incident, I hope you get better soon.
Jay I’ve never met you personally but I feel that I know you. I’ve been a fan of yours from the first time I saw your show. Being a car guy I’ve been hurt many times by car mishaps and open wheel modified racing, bt that doesn’t stop us does it. Get well soon. We need you back.
Wishing you a full and speedy recovery, thank you for everything you do for our hobby, and hopefully have the honor of meeting you someday.
Here’s to a speedy recovery and back to the garage soon!
Jesus Loves You!!!!!!!!
We miss you! Praying every day for your pain to be minimal and your recovery swift. You have brought so much joy and laughter to so many. ❤️
I pray that the physicians will restore your burned areas and make you like new. I am very sorry this happened to you and will pray for your recovery.