PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Fires don't discriminate. A fire can happen to anyone at any time.
"When I was finally put out, then I felt the pain," said Steve Joyner, fire survivor.
Joyner survived a fire in Portsmouth in December 2010.
"I went to start a fire in a fire pit and using gasoline which is something you never want to use, my twin brother is a retired fire chief so I knew better, but I put gas on the wood in the fire pit and I stood back and when I threw the match and it went off. The fumes of the container are what's volatile so even being a pretty good distance away from it, the container blew up in my hand and I had fire and gas all over me," explained Joyner.
Several people sprayed him with a fire extinguisher and he was transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. He had burns on roughly half of his body.
"I was in pretty bad shape," Joyner said.
He spent time in a coma, on a ventilator, getting skin grafts and recovering.
"At that point it was surgery, surgery, surgery, then recovery, recovery, recovery," said Joyner.
He still feels some physical impact today.
"I spend a lot of time outside. Out in the heat and humidity only about half of my body sweats. Grafts won't sweat so I have to constantly drink water. And I don't complain, but I will sweat more in my core where I was not burned, and you just have to learn to live with it," said Joyner.
Steve's accident involved gasoline, but folks get injured in fires in many ways ranging from cooking accidents, to smoking, to faulty heating or lighting in homes.
"Fires can happen at any time," said Capt. Claston Benjamin Lineberry with the Portsmouth Fire Department.
More Americans are being killed and injured in fires than 10 years ago, according to a report by the U.S. Fire Administration. But the U.S. Fire Administration reports good news too: fire deaths across the country are lower than they were 20 years ago.
Firefighters said it's always a good idea to take safety precautions like making sure smoke detectors are working, having and knowing how to use a fire extinguisher, and making sure your family knows what to do if there is a fire.
"In general, having a plan. Having a plan in place, especially if you have little kids. A fire escape plan, where are we going to meet if there's a fire. Feel the door know if it's hot. Know your exit routes. A fire can happen at any time," said Capt. Lineberry.
Joyner said he won't forget what happened but won't dwell on it. He exuded joy when he spoke about what his life looks like now at his job and with his family.
He's used his experience to be there for other burn survivors at home and across the country. He's attended conferences for burn survivors and has been influential in local group Tidewater Burn Survivors. He adds that a nonprofit, Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery (that taps into the concept of climbing powerfully) helps connect survivors and families with resources, information, and community.
"I have got burn family across the world that I consider family and have connected with. You're just in an elite group. There's a reason I was saved, maybe doing this kind of work. And you just don't give up, you have to keep going," said Joyner.
He said if your loved one's been burned, patience and a listening ear can go a long way.
The biggest gain he's had post accident? A new perspective on life.
"You just take it one day at a time. Bad days, cold days, hot days, it's a day I'm here," smiled Joyner.
