Santa Ana : Nursery Worker Burned After Spilled Gas Ignites

A nursery employee suffered second-degree burns on his arms, ankles and feet Thursday after he kicked over a container of gasoline that was ignited by a nearby water heater, fire officials said.

Jose de Jesus Acosta Quesada of Santa Ana was in stable condition in the burn center at UCI Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said. Fire officials estimated his age at 25.

Quesada was inside a storage shed attached to a garage at Green Hill Nurseries, 313 S. Newhope St., when he kicked over a small plastic container of gasoline about 8:45 a.m., said Battalion Chief Chester Gross. The cap apparently came off and gasoline spilled over the floor, filling the room with fumes, which ignited, he said.

Quesada had to run through the flames to get out, Gross said.

A driver at the nursery saw the fire and tried to extinguish it with water, which only spread it, Gross said. The driver and others switched to sand and fire extinguishers and were able to knock down most of the blaze by the time firefighters arrived, Gross said.