Jay Leno, 72, the popular comedian and ex-host of the famous The Tonight Show, received third degree burns in a gasoline explosion in his garage on Sunday, November 12, in Los Angeles, California.
He was working on a vintage 1907 White Steam Car (115 years old!), with a clogged fuel line, when gasoline leaked and a spark caused an explosion and fire, injuring Leno on his hands and face.
Speaking to the media from his hospital bed, Leno said he was recovering, after having received skin grafts, and hopes to be on his feet in a couple of weeks. He also had surgery.
Leno told TMZ media that luckily he was with a companion who was able to smother the flames and save him from further injury.
Leno was admitted to the Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles for treatment. A hospital spokesperson confirmed to the media that Leno was in stable condition.
Jay Leno is well-known, having taken over for Johnny Carson as host of The Tonight Show in 1992. He left the show in 2009 but his funny monologues can still be watched on YouTube and other media platforms.
Leno started his own show called The Jay Leno Show but it did not do well. After that, in 2010, NBC took him back and rehired him as host of The Tonight Show, where he delighted audiences and guests for the next four years. In 2014, he quit and Jimmy Fallon took over as host.
In 2015, Leno created a new CNBC show called Jay Leno’s Garage, which was popular with vintage car lovers. It ran for seven seasons. In 2021, Leno became the host of the revived show, You Bet Your Life.