ROADWATER man Martin Howe admitted he was lucky to be alive this week after surviving a gas explosion which turned him into a human fireball. The 48-year-old businessman was working in his workshop in the village last Friday afternoon when a leaking transfer pump ignited hugely volatile liquid petroleum gas (LPG). Martin was blown off his feet by the force of the explosion, which resulted in fire ripping through the wooden and breeze block building, eventually destroying it along with two vehicles parked nearby. Police were forced to set up a 200-metre exclusion zone around the incident and dozens of homes were evacuated. "All I remember is a flash and then I realised that my whole body was on fire," Martin told the Free Press from Bristol's Frenchay Hospital where he is being treated for burns to his hands, arms and face. Martin began trying to douse himself with a hosepipe and his 19-year-old son Ashley was quickly on the scene to take over. With the flames on his body finally extinguished, the father and son, who together run Ashley Property Maintenance, turned their attention to the root of the blaze. But with glue, paint and thinners in the 100 by 100-metre wooden and breeze block workshop - close to the family's home at Hunters Rest and not far from the village garage - they faced a daunting and dangerous task. "We had the hosepipe on it but it took hold so quickly," said Martin. "I was just running on adrenaline and the pain hadn't kicked in at that stage." The pair soon realised the fire was simply too ferocious for them to tackle and escaped to safety outside the workshop to await the arrival of the emergency services. When the ambulance drew up, Ashley had to help his father across a stream to reach the vehicle where paramedics initially treated him at the scene. "By this time my eyes were swollen up. My hands and my arms were badly burned and it was when I got into the ambulance that I really started to feel the pain," said Martin. "Ashley was great but I think he was in shock, like me, by this time. "I realise that it could have been so much worse. I know that I'm a very lucky man, lucky to be alive." Firefighters from Williton, Taunton, Wiveliscombe and Bridgwater battled for more than four hours to bring the incident under control. It happened as Martin was transferring the butane LPG from a large to a smaller cylinder. A spokesman for the Devon and Somerset Fire Rescue Service said the workshop was well alight when crews arrived just after 3.30pm. "The whole building was involved in fire which resulted in a total collapse." A pick-up truck and a Freelander, both owned by Martin, were also destroyed in the incident, which was finally brought under control by 8pm. Local people who had been evacuated were allowed home shortly afterwards. The spokesman added: "The result of the fire investigation revealed that the cause was likely to be accidental due to leaking LPG ignited by a spark from a decanting pump." Retired headteacher Mo Best, who lives in the village, said the church hall at St Luke's had been opened up as a refuge for the temporarily homeless. "The first I knew about it was when a friend asked if she could come over to my house because she couldn't go home," she said. "I went up and opened up the village hall as well but in the end it wasn't needed. "As it happened during the afternoon, a lot of people were at work. "About a dozen people were in the church hall, mostly elderly. Tea and coffee was laid on for them and luckily they didn't have to stay there for too long." Mrs Best said an area from the end of Brendon Close through to beyond The Crescent was cordoned off. Jude Johnson-Smith, who lives in The Crescent, and was one of those evacuated, said the incident had been quite scary. "There were a lot of explosions, huge flames and enormous plumes of black smoke. "Everybody came out to see what was going on." Ms Johnson-Smith, whose daughter and three grandchildren who live nearby were also evacuated, added: "At first we were told we probably wouldn't be allowed home until midnight but luckily the time was brought forward." Martin was still in hospital yesterday (Thursday) and was unaware when he would be allowed home. "I've been told I haven't got to have a skin graft as the burns are described as superficial, so hopefully there won't be any lasting damage," he said. "It could have been so much worse but one thing's for sure - I won't be having anything to do with LPG again in a hurry."