‘My chest was on fire and flames engulfed my face’, says woman, 32, after gust of wind sparked tragedy

A WOMAN was left with severe burns after she was set alight when a gust of wind blew flames onto her face.

Beatrice Francovschi had travelled to a festival in Indiana, USA, for a fun weekend away with friends - but things quickly went awry. 

The Milton Keynes native had taken up fire performing as a hobby and side business for the last three years and decided to put on a show at the campsite with another artist.

But it was only mere seconds later that tragedy struck, when wind blew one of her fuel-soaked fans, spraying vapours and fuel onto her clothes and body, setting her aflame instantly. 

At one point, the 32-year-old feared she would die, having never had an accident whilst doing the hobby previously. 

"I was in pain and shock but knew to keep calm, not to breathe in and to keep my eyes and mouth closed and to drop to the floor," she said.

"My hand, arm, shoulder and chest were on fire and the flames were going up over my neck, face and head.

"Luckily I had recently had a shower and my hair was wet so it didn't catch fire."

Nearby bystanders rushed to her aid, dousing the flames in a matter of seconds before Beatrice was rushed to hospital with extensive injuries.

The systems analyst was airlifted to a specialist burns unit, where she was treated for which covered 20 per cent of her body and face.

Doctors were initially concerned that the inflammation around her neck could lead to breathing difficulties, so they decided to incubate her for safety.

"When they intubated me, I thought, 'Am I going to die?' It was terrifying," she recalls.