A MUM-OF-TWO told how she turned into a living fireball after slipping in petrol before she was consumed by flames in a backyard blaze.
Louise Chadwick, 39, had taken a ripped-out wardrobe outside in the garden of her home in Radcliffe, Manchester, to burn.
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Louise Chadwick, 39, decided to set the remains of a ripped-out wardrobe alight 5
Louise used petrol to get it going - but the flames quickly got out of hand 5
Louise suffered third-degree burns over the lower-half of her body
But she didn't notice someone had already set the pile alight when she began dousing the wood with gasoline - with it burst into roaring flames which quickly took hold of the whole garden.
Louise suffered third-degree burns over the lower-half of her body and her arms - and has PTSD from the trauma.
Louise said her daughter's ex-boyfriend Jamie Lynch had desperately rushed to help as she was engulfed in flames: "At first I was in complete shock.
"Everything happened so fast from the moment I poured the petrol to the horror that came afterwards.
"My arms went up first, but things really got serious when I slipped and drenched myself in petrol fluid.
"That's when my leggings set alight and the flames started to rise up towards my torso.
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"I could feel the heat quickly nearing my face, but I couldn't get my trousers off because I was wearing my partners slippers.
"Jamie was trying to help me get them off but he was in complete shock at what was happening.
"It felt like I was burning for a lifetime, and I genuinely thought this is how my life is going to end."
After five minutes of unimaginable pain, with the help of her youngest daughter Georgia Mulvey, 19, Louise finally managed to put herself out.
The mum was airlifted to hospital - where she spent two weeks in intensive care.
Louise added: "Every day that goes by I still think about what happened.
"The scars on my body have healed as much as they ever will, but it's my mental health that's been damaged the most.
"The first time I went to fill my car up since the accident I started screaming in the middle of the petrol station - in that moment I felt so much fear.
"I've had countless nightmares where I've woken up thinking I was burning and my kids have had to come in and calm me down.
"Over the years, I have been terrified of bonfire night and fireworks, but I have a grandson now, and I don't want to miss out on important parts of his childhood.
"This year, I'm going to face my fears head on surrounded by my family, and speaking out about my accident is definitely a way of helping me accept what's happened.
"I want people to realise the dangers associated with bonfires and how quickly things can go wrong."
Louise - a hair and makeup artist - now works with burn victims to help them feel more confident in their appearance.
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The flames quickly took hold of the whole garden 5
Louise and her 19-year-old daughter Georgia Mulbey were able to put out the flames We pay for your stories!
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