Jay Leno sustains ‘serious burns’ in gasoline fire
By Michael Levenson
Comedian and television host Jay Leno, known for his expansive collection of cars, sustained burns in a gasoline fire but was expecting to recover, he said earlier this week.
“I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire,” Leno, 72, said in a statement. “I am OK. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet.”
The Fire Department in Burbank, California, responded to a request for comment about Leno by saying that it responded to an emergency call at an address near the Hollywood Burbank Airport just before 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Emergency medical workers “assessed and treated one adult male patient” who was taken to a hospital, the department said in a statement.
According to a 2011 story in The New York Times, Leno kept his car collection in a garage in Burbank. Every car there was maintained with a full tank of gas, current registration and valid insurance, so he could choose any one of them for a drive. Some of the cars were almost never driven.
Best known as a longtime host of “The Tonight Show,” he is now the host of a show called “Jay Leno’s Garage,” which recently featured President Joe Biden discussing the future of electric vehicles. He is also the host of a syndicated reboot of classic comedy game show “You Bet Your Life.”
A veteran of the stand-up circuit, Leno succeeded Johnny Carson as host of “The Tonight Show” in 1992 and ultimately left the program in 2014, resuming a schedule of speaking engagements and comedy shows across the country.
Leno had been scheduled to speak Sunday night at the Financial Brand Forum, a financial conference in Las Vegas, but was unable to attend, People magazine reported, citing an email to attendees of the event.
“His family was not able to provide us very many details, but there was a very serious medical emergency that is preventing Jay from traveling,” the email said. “All we know is that he is alive, so our prayers go out to him and his family tonight.”