Here’s What Caused Jay Leno’s Terrifying Garage Fire

Jay Leno was involved in a perilous situation in late 2022 when he was left with burns on his face as a result of a garage fire. While speaking with Hota Kotb for the Today show in December, he described how the incident occurred. As the former talk show host explained, a 1907 White Steam Car caused the disastrous ordeal. 

Leno explained that at the time of the incident, the fuel line of the 1907 White Steam Car was clogged. He then went underneath the vehicle in order to inspect what was going on, explaining, “It sounded clogged and I said, ‘Blow some air through the line,’ and suddenly, boom, I got a face full of gas.” Leno recalled that the pilot light then went on and then his “face caught on fire.” 

“And I said to my friend, I said, ‘Dave, I’m on fire.’ And then, ‘Oh, my God.’ Dave, my friend, pulled me out and jumped on top of me and kind of smothered the fire,” he continued. The full interview between Leno and Kotb will air on the Today Show on Wednesday at 7 a.m. ET. This scary situation took place in November and reportedly left Leno with burns on his face. Shortly after it took place, Leno did release a statement in which he assured fans that he was alright, but that he would need some time to recover. His statement read, “I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire. I am ok. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet.”

In the days following the incident, he reportedly underwent two surgeries. He then received treatment at an outpatient center. Dr. Peter Grossman, who treated Leno, said in a press conference that he was confident that he would make a full recovery. The doctor added, “Jay would like to let everyone know how thankful he is for the care he received, and is very appreciative of all of the well wishes. He is looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with his family and friends and wishes everyone a wonderful holiday.” While this was quite a serious situation, Leno has already been back in action on stage. Around two weeks after the incident, he performed at the Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach to a sold-out crowd.