Jay Leno suffered third-degree burns from gas fire, may need skin grafts

Jay Leno is suffering serious burns on his face after a gas fire. Photo / Getty Images

Jay Leno is suffering from a third-degree burns after a gasoline fire over the weekend and may need skin grafts, reports NBC News.

The former host of the Tonight Show, 72, received burns on his hands and the left side of his face, a source close to the star told the outlet. He’s now reportedly undergoing hyperbaric oxygen treatment at the Grossman Burn Centre - “something he has to do all the time”, they said.

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment can “accelerate burn wound healing by increasing oxygen supply to injured areas and reducing swelling, which is helpful in maintaining healthy blood flow,” according to the Grossman Burn Centre website.

The comedian spoke out on Monday for the first time since the “serious medical emergency”.

Sharing a statement with People, he confirmed he is recovering from “serious burns”.

“I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire,” he said in the statement. “I am okay. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet.”

A press release from the Burbank Fire Department obtained by People said the incident took place around midday on Saturday. Fire department officials said they arrived on the scene to “assess and treat one adult male patient” and transported him to “a local emergency department”.

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Grossman Burn Centre spokesperson Aimee Bennett also released a statement to People confirming that Leno was being treated there after the gas fire in his garage.

“Jay wants everyone to know that he is in stable condition and receiving treatment ... for burns that he received to his face and hands from a gasoline accident in his garage over the weekend,” Bennett said.

“He is in good humour and is touched by all the inquiries into his condition and well wishes. [He] wants to let everyone know he is doing well and is in ‘the best burn centre in the United States.’”

Though it’s still unclear what exactly took place during the incident, Leno’s employee George Swift told Access Hollywood that the comedian was sprayed by gas that caught fire while he was working on a steam car.