A man was 'engulfed in a ball of fire' after a method he used to try and stop mice entering his flat backfired.
Over the two days previous to the incident, he had used eight cans of expanding foam, which contains a highly flammable propellant gas, to fill mice holes and gaps around the skirting boards in the kitchen of his flat in Mill Hill Road, Acton.
However, he had not ventilated the room adequately after using the foam containing methylene-diphenyl-diisocyanate 4,4’, and was covered in a ball of fire when the gas ignited on Sunday afternoon (February 22).
He has suffered burns to his hands and arms which required hospital treatment.
The gas is emitted from the foam as it expands and dries out, is heavier than air, sinks and forms an invisible cloud.
It is thought the gas ignited when the man switched on his gas cooker.
A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade said: “Always read safety warnings on the side of aerosol cans and observe the safety advice closely. Areas where expanding foam is drying out should always be very well ventilated.”
Two fire engines and about 10 firefighters and officers from Acton and Ealing fire stations attended the incident.
The Brigade was called at 12.50pm and the fire was under control at 1pm.
