A TEENAGER who nearly died in an explosion at his home has spoken of his ordeal.

Casey Hill was preparing for the first day of his catering course at Nelson and Colne College a week ago when he opened the outhouse door to get a bottle of pop, switched on the light and the building exploded in his face.

Casey's mum Sylvia, a cleaner at St John's School in Ivy Street, and step-dad Roy Drinkwater, who works at Micro Peripherals, in Altham, had already left for work when the explosion happened.

Casey said: "I ran straight in the house and I realised I was on fire. My legs were on fire. I patted them to put the fire out. I didn't know about my face and arms.

"I did my first aid badge at St Andrew's Scouts so I knew what to do to put the flames out."

Casey suffered second degree burns with the most serious affecting his face and arms and a cut to the back of his head which needed four stitches.

He managed to call the fire brigade. When the fire crew arrived they put water on his burns before paramedics took him to Burnley General Hospital.

His mum Sylvia said: "He is lucky to be alive." At the hospital the 17-year-old from Todmorden Road, Burnley, was found to have serious burns and he was transferred to Whiston Hospital, Prescott, Liverpool, where he spent a day-and-a-half sedated in the intensive care unit.

Doctors kept him in until Friday to see if he needed skin grafts, however, fortunately his burns are healing well.

Inside the outhouse was his step-dad Ron's Honda 750cc motorcycle. The door had not been opened for three days and Station Officer Steve Cope said the most probable cause of the blast was a build of petrol vapour which was ignited when Casey flicked the switch. Neighbours reported hearing three explosions, probably from the petrol tank and other aerosols in the outhouse.

Despite his injuries, the teenager used his catering skills to make a Mothering Sunday meal for his mum.

As soon as his injuries are healed he will start his college course.