Burns victim in recovery

A Tauranga man who was severely burned in an explosion three months ago could be back home from Middlemore Hospital soon.

29-year-old Barrie Gardner was badly injured when fumes from a paint thinner he was using to remove lino ignited.

He suffered severe burns to 80 per cent of his body.

On New Year's Day, he had nine hours of surgery to repair damage on his legs, and, if the skin grafts take, he could start physical rehab in three weeks.