KEY POINTS:
A Hawkes Bay man who started yesterday with a cigarette was fighting for his life last night after a gas explosion tore apart his caravan home.
Bruce Moat was seriously ill in the National Burn Centre at Middlemore Hospital after the blast at his isolated property near Blackhead Beach, south of Hastings.
A neighbour, trained in first aid, raced to help the 61-year-old, taking fire extinguishers and bottled oxygen.
"[Mr Moat] was standing at the door in a daze. He'd had the stuffing knocked out of him and he had quite bad burns.
"There was a lot of skin hanging off him. He was badly shaking," the neighbour said.
He poured water on Mr Moat and administered oxygen until the Lowe Corporation rescue helicopter arrived with St John paramedics.
Mr Moat had talked the entire time saying, "All I did was light a smoke". He kept on saying that.
The neighbour said there were two "fairly large" LPG bottles behind the caravan, which might have leaked.
Hawkes Bay St John area manager Stephen Smith said Mr Moat had "severe" injuries, with burns to 35 to 45 per cent of his body, with his head, arms, legs and torso affected.
"He's extremely lucky that he survived, that's for sure."
