01.12.2025 17:51
41-year-old Derya Yavaş, who wanted to have a pleasant evening with her friends in Beykoz, Istanbul, reportedly experienced terrifying moments when a decorative fireplace exploded like a bomb. Yavaş, who suffered burns on 30% of her body, stated that a small product suddenly turned her home into a fireball, saying, "I was on fire, the smoke reached the 4th floor. I was about to place an order just a few minutes before the explosion; nobody should bring this product into their home," she warned.
A 41-year-old woman named Derya Yavaş, living in the Beykoz district of Istanbul, visited a friend in Başakşehir with her husband on the evening of November 24. According to reports, a group of four, wanting to have a pleasant evening, lit a decorative fireplace they had bought for aesthetic purposes while preparing the table, and shortly after, the fireplace exploded like a bomb for reasons yet unknown.
30% OF HER BODY WAS BURNED At that moment, Yavaş, who was close to the fireplace, jumped in pain. The woman, who said that the area they were in was engulfed in flames, tried to intervene with her friends. After suffering burns on her body, Yavaş reached a hospital and was later directed to Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital. It was determined that 30% of Yavaş's body was burned, and she was admitted with burns in her abdomen and arm.
Yavaş stated that her husband and friends escaped with minor burns and while recounting the incident, the Head of the Burn Treatment Center, General Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Mustafa Turan, provided information about her condition. Turan listed the necessary actions to be taken in case of burns. Photos showing the state of the burned sofas and the room were revealed, while a video of two fireplaces burning together in the past in the area where the explosion occurred also drew attention.
"ALL THE ITEMS IN THE AREA WE WERE IN BURNED, THE FLAMES REACHED THE 4TH FLOOR" 41-year-old Derya Yavaş said, "It happened between 00:30 and 01:00 on Saturday night. We were guests at our friends' house. We were all sitting together at the edge of the coffee table, and in the middle, there was a small decorative fireplace, known as a bioethanol fireplace, with a maximum diameter of 30 centimeters. Unfortunately, it exploded very seriously; it is not as innocent as it looks. I remember the moment of the incident; it had gone out, and I think fuel needs to be added when its chamber is completely cooled, maybe it hadn't cooled down completely. When my friend added fuel, it suddenly exploded like a bomb, and I suffered serious burns. In the panic, I didn't even realize I was on fire; I understood when my husband ran towards me because everything was burning. It was a fuel that never goes out with water; we couldn't extinguish it, we called the site's security. They could only intervene and extinguish it with a fire extinguisher. The building we were in was a four-story building, and the flames reached the 4th floor. The area we were in was 20 square meters, and all the items in that area burned," she said.
"I WAS GOING TO ORDER ONLINE, THINKING HOW BEAUTIFUL IT WAS" Continuing her words by saying, "Imagine a tiny, decorative, little fireplace; it created a bomb effect," Yavaş stated, "My husband was not there during the explosion; he heard the sound from the kitchen and ran over, and my other friends were also standing. That product exploded directly on me. My friends didn't even realize how badly I was burned. I was on fire. My entire arm below the elbow was burned because I reflexively brought it to my face when it exploded. The area below my chest was completely burned down to my groin. Just five minutes before this explosion, we were talking; I was looking online at different shapes, I was going to order, we were discussing how beautiful the ambiance was. It was like a joke that this happened. No one should bring this product into their home; yes, it looks very nice, but it is not as innocent as it seems; it is an incredibly dangerous product. I recommend that they be very careful. A tiny product burned everything in the house," she said.
"WE HAVE AT LEAST 2-3 CASES A MONTH THAT WE ADMIT AS SEVERE INJURIES" Speaking about her patient's condition, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Turan said, "She was brought to our hospital as an injured person after the explosion of a fireplace fuel. She had burns of about 30%, some of which could be third-degree burns. We started intensive treatment as soon as she arrived, and she is in a better condition now than when she came. We are facing a story where a decorative, small fireplace ignited during the fuel supply phase, and there were serious difficulties in extinguishing it, leading to a house fire, with most areas of the four-story house being burned. These types of products require very careful handling. Some patients come to the outpatient clinic; they are more comfortable, but we have at least 2-3 cases a month that we admit as severe injuries. It is crucial to be very careful when using the fuels of these types of products," he stated.
"THE CAN WAS THROWN OUT BY HER HUSBAND; OTHERWISE, THEY MIGHT HAVE COME IN SEVERE INJURIES" Providing information about the first aid, Prof. Dr. Turan continued his remarks: "The damage to the skin continues for a long time; we want the energy to be taken from the tap water for at least 15-20 minutes. After the energy is taken, it is necessary to apply to a healthcare institution. Home accidents are a part of our lives; to prevent our beautiful moments from turning into bad ones, these types of products should be used very carefully, adhering to usage conditions or used in a very controlled manner, and using a good product is very important. The can was thrown out by her husband; otherwise, they might have come in with severe injuries, and we would have faced a worse scenario. If there are situations of scarring, if there is very deep damage and that crisis cannot be managed, the body tries to cover that area with other tissues. To prevent that situation, we take maximum care to control the infection and prevent it from getting to that state. Let’s use our household products carefully. Let’s be very careful in environments where there will be children or workplaces, so that these types of products do not harm us."