Flame Gun Accident Caused Man's Death, Inquest Confirms

A device for burning away unwanted brush and weeds is being blamed for the death of an 86-year-old Lincolnshire, England, man.

An inquest into the man's June 15 death revealed that he died after catching fire while using a Kill Weed brand flame gun in his garden, according to the BBC. A neighbor attempted to quell the flames with a garden hose.

After the accident, a store that sells the flame gun in the U.K., Coopers of Stortford, recalled the product, noting a "serious safety issue which could lead to the risk of fire during use." The recall told customers who had purchased a Kill Weed flame gun to stop using it immediately, and offered free returns.

An EU-wide alert has been issued for the device, which is manufactured in Taiwan.

"If the gas canister is not fitted correctly this can lead to a leakage of gas and risk of fire when product is ignited for normal use," the alert says, citing one fatal accident.

Flame guns are sometimes used as an alternative to chemical weed killers.

Many U.S. hardware stores sell propane torches that some people use as flame weeders, or for melting ice. Some flamethrowers sold in the U.S. have also been described as brush-clearing tools.

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