Jay Leno Was Reportedly Working on 1907 Steam Car When Gas Fire Erupted
Jay Leno is recovering from severe burns to his hands and face after a fire broke out in his famous Burbank, California garage over the weekend. The TV show host was working on his 1907 White Steam Car when the accident took place, TMZ reports.
Leno confirmed to TMZ that a 1907 White Model G was at the center of this incident. The star noted he was working to repair clogged fuel lines that had been troubling the automotive centurion. A fuel leak caused some gasoline to be sprayed onto his face and hands, at which point a spark immediately caused the blaze to start, Leno told TMZ.
A buddy was reportedly close by when the flames erupted, and acted quickly to tackle the fire before it did any further damage to his body. Leno still suffered from 3rd-degree burns, and told TMZ he may be in need of some skin grafts moving forward. The comedian is currently recovering from his wounds at the Grossman Burn Center, and is reportedly in good spirits despite the incident.
Steam vehicles feature a large boiler, which stores water and is heated with either kerosene or a gasoline burner. As the heat turns that liquid water into a gas, steam is directed into the cylinders of the engine. That increases the pressure inside the cylinder and causes the pistons to run through their stroke. However, that process isn't immediate, often requiring owners to wait up to a half hour before proper operating temperatures were reached. The steam is cooled throughout as it is condensed during this process, returning to a liquid state. This water is then recycled through the system and the cycle continues. On a cool day, the Model G should provide between 100 and 150 miles of range on a single tank of water.
Leno is well-known for his love of steam-powered vehicles, and has even featured the Model G in question on his Leno’s Garage series in the past. While they are increasingly rare these days, steam-powered White vehicles were the most popular cars in the United States at the turn of the 20th century. Only five Model Gs are believed to survive to this day.
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