Jay Leno Recalls the Moment His Face Caught Fire in First TV Interview

Jay Leno is sitting down for his first TV interview since his scary garage fire.

Last month, Leno suffered burn injuries after one of his cars caught fire.

Jay told Hoda Kotb on “Today” in an interview airing Wednesday, “It was a 1907 White Steam Car. The fuel line was clogged, so I was underneath it. It sounded clogged and I said, ‘Blow some air through the line,’ and suddenly, boom, I got a face full of gas.”

“And then the pilot light jumped and my face caught on fire,” Leno recalled. “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.”

Leno was burned on the face, chest, and hands while working on the car in his garage and spent 10 days at Grossman Burn Center, where he was treated for his injuries.

After his release, Jay, 72, posed for a photo with hospital staff as he said goodbye. The photo reveals some of the burns to his face and neck.

Dr. Peter Grossman said in a statement, “I am pleased with Jay’s progress, and I am optimistic that he will make a full recovery.”

The hospital also shared in a press release, “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.”

“Extra’s” Billy Bush recently spoke with Jerry Seinfeld about how Leno is doing.

Jerry noted that he recently talked to Jay, who was “fine.”

When asked about Jay’s healing trajectory, Jerry answered, “They gotta fix it up, but luckily he’s not far from Beverly Hills. I imagine there are people there that can help him with whatever he needs.”