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A Colorado mechanic is speaking out after a freak fire burned a quarter of his body. Garan Shaw, 41, was working on a friend's car in April 2024 when a disconnected line shot fuel onto his body and he quickly went up in flames. Brutal burns covered his chest, arms, stomach, neck, and face. Even after more than a year of treatment, Shaw has lost feeling in his arms and no longer has the ability to sweat or feel cold, KDVR reported. Shaw was fixing up the car as a gift for a local teen in his town of Durango, more than 300 miles from Denver. There was gasoline in the carburetor that caused it to spontaneously combust in a flash fire, igniting everything around it - including Shaw. His beard and hair lit up first, then flames enveloped his body and clothes. 'At that point my eyes were burning, my beard had burned, I definitely had some stuff on my face,' he said. 'It was kind of a blur.' Shaw dove into the dirt, rolling on the ground in an attempt to extinguish the flames. A local fire chief arrived to assist and told Shaw to go sit in the shade as they doused him with water, disregarding any flames that may have spread elsewhere. 'All the water was needed to go on me,' Shaw said. He was then rushed to the hospital. Shaw was placed in a medically induced coma for a week and was flown to a medical center hundreds of miles away. Surgeons at University of Colorado Health's Burn and Frostbite Center operated on him dozens of times in the months that Shaw spent there. Doctors even crafted him a new ear through a series of skin grafts and surgeries. While he's made strides in his recovery, Shaw still expects many surgeries ahead, physical therapy, and lifelong complications from the accident. Long-term affects of severe burns can include scarring, loss of muscle mass, chronic pain, and increased risk of cancer, per Larson Law. Shaw managed to go back to work as a self-described 'jack of all trades' but is taking even more precautions than ever when it comes to fire safety. 'I've had fire on me before while welding, my shirt's caught on fire,' he told KDVR. 'It's not uncommon in this lifestyle, but I'm definitely more vigilant about it now.' Last year, Shaw's family launched a GoFundMe campaign asking for help with Shaw's expenses from his extensive medical treatment and inability to work while he recovered. 'If you know Garan, you know he is one of the most selfless people on this planet,' his loved ones wrote. 'He is notorious for putting everyone’s needs above his own.' Now, he said he's using his experiences to educate others on fire safety. The Daily Mail contacted Shaw for comment. The American Red Cross said the best way to react if your clothes catch on fire is to stop, drop the ground, cover your face, and roll back and forth until the flames go out. Immediately treat burned skin with cool water for three to five minutes and call for medical attention.
