Man accidentally sets himself on fire at gas station

THOMASTOWN, Australia (CNN/SEVEN NETWORK AUSTRALIA) - A motorist almost paid the ultimate price for committing one of the silliest acts - testing a cigarette lighter while filling his car with gasoline.

"Why anyone would have done something like that is just beyond me," said service station operator Suzy Eid.

The motorist cleared the open front door in his haste to get away. A quick-thinking attendant immediately shut down the pump, and a local doctor threw a bucket of water over the spilled gasoline.

"The good thing is the safety grip. So as soon as he's let go of it, that stopped, the flow of fuel would have stopped, so that's minimized the amount of fuel on the ground. The gods were on his side because it was only a flash. If it had have been any more than that, it would have gone against him," explained Melbourne Fire Brigade Deputy Chief Robert Taylor.

According to reports, the man will be OK.