Update: Jay Leno confirmed the incident to Variety, stating, “I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire. I am OK. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet.”
Jay Leno, the creator of Jay Leno’s Garage and the former longtime "Tonight Show" host, was taken to a burn center after suffering a serious injury at his Los Angeles, CA, garage.
TMZ reported flames burned the left side of Leno’s face, but did not penetrate his eye or ear. The full extent of his injuries and his precise condition are not known at this point, but the injury was serious enough to prompt the celebrity to cancel all of his engagements for the duration of the week. His YouTube channel continues to operate and has released a new video Nov. 14.
People reported the comedian was unable to attend a scheduled performance at a conference in Las Vegas, NV, on Nov. 13 as a result of a “serious medical emergency.” An email sent to attendees of the event stated Leno is alive.
“His family was not able to provide us very many details, but there was a very serious medical emergency that is preventing Jay from traveling,” the email wrote. “All we know is that he is alive, so our prayers go out to him and his family tonight.”
Leno is a prodigious collector of classic and unusual vehicles, and his garage contains more than 180 vehicles, according to U.S. News. TMZ suggested in its report the fire started suddenly and without warning.
It is not clear at this time what started the fire. While flammable fluids and leaking gaskets mean that there is a risk of fire with most classic vehicles, his collection also contains a selection of steam-powered vehicles, such as the 1909 White Model M.
Such vehicles use gas flames to heat up water and hexane gas to keep a pilot light going, as well as oil to lubricate the engine. All flammable fluids, the historic oddities also require a lot of maintenance to keep them operating correctly, so there is no shortage of possible sources for a fire.
We hope you will join us in wishing Leno a speedy recovery.
