A FUNDRAISING page has been set up after a Volkswagen enthusiast suffered serious burns during a freak fire.

Mark Flint, 37, was working on his campervan and Beetle when the wooden garage at his home in Alresford was engulfed by flames.

He suffered 27 per cent burns after the incident earlier this month and is recovering at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.

Three cars were destroyed and two homes damaged on August, 15 days before a special magazine feature about his classic vehicle was due to be published.

Gazette:

Mark said: “The camper van had never looked so good. I was on a high after coming back from Belgium and so proud to know that the article would be in the magazine after all my hard work.

“Both my VW camper van and my VW Beetle were parked at the garage at my mum’s and I wanted to check over everything underneath the bus on my return.

“I had jacked up the camper van and was lying underneath it when something sparked in my face and lit fuel just fell on me and I could feel my face, neck, arms and back were on fire.

“I ran outside to try and extinguish the flames and could feel my t-shirt melting on me and that’s when I realised the whole garage was starting to catch light. Everything inside was on fire.

“I rolled around on the grass in the garden, which didn’t put the flames out, and then found a water butt which I plunged myself into.

“I managed to put the fire out on my face and body. I then went back to try and tried to extinguish the flames in the garage but the fire extinguisher melted my hands.”

Firefighters from Colchester and Wivenhoe managed to save the house.

Mark’s mother Perpetua Flint and an elderly neighbour were treated for shock at Colchester Hospital.

Mark said: ”Although it’s terrible to lose the VWs, I realise the main thing is that I’m still here and my mum and all our neighbours are safe.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help his recovery.

To donate or find out more visit gofundme.com/2k7a72c