‘Suddenly, Boom, I Got a Face Full of Gas… and My Face Caught on Fire!’ Jay Leno Describes Horrible Accident in First Interview Since Hospitalization

Comedian Jay Leno is opening up about the terrifying moment he caught on fire while working on one of his vintage cars.

During his first interview after being hospitalized, Leno sat down with Today’s Hoda Kotb to discuss the ordeal.

“First of all, Jay, I’m just so happy to be sitting across from you,” Kotb said.

“Well, thank you. I’m afraid I had to get on fire to be on The Today Show. Thank you,” Leno said jokingly.

Leno described the moment of the accident, , which occurred while he was working on a vintage 1907 steam car alongside longtime friend Dave Killackey.

“I was — it was a 1907, white steam car. So the fuel line was clogged. So I was underneath it trying to unclog, and I said, blow some air through the line. Let’s see — and then a line — and then boom and suddenly, boom, I got a face full of gas,” Leno described. “And then the pilot light jumped and my face caught on fire.”

Leno said he told his friend Dave that he was on fire and immediately Killackey jumped in to help.

“I couldn’t even see his face. He downplays it all, but I’m telling you, he was really engulfed. I couldn’t see his face,” Killackey told Kotb.

“It was on fire?” Kotb asked.

“It was a wall of fire,” insisted Killackey.

Killackey pulled Leno out from under the car and began to smother the fire. After everyone was safe, Killackey was able to get a good look at Leno’s injuries.

“It was horrific. It was a scary thing,” Killackey said.

Leno was seen by doctors who advised him to immediately go to a burn center, but he declined. Opting instead to go home first and let his wife know he was ok.

“My wife doesn’t drive anymore, and I didn’t want her stuck and not knowing what was going on,” he explained.

Together they would go to the burn center where Leno would spend the next nine days in recovery.

During his time there, he was more concerned about everyone else in the hospital than himself. Leno ordered pizza for the nursing staff who was helping him with his severe burns and even made his way through the hospital attempting to cheer other patients up.

After lots of healing and a reconstruction surgery on his ear, Leno is back at it, having performed a stand-up gig just over one week after being released from the hospital.

Watch above via The Today Show.