Man Suspected of Setting Self on Fire in Yard

A man who apparently doused himself with gasoline and lighted it on the front lawn of a home Tuesday suffered burns over 90% of his body, authorities said.

Neighbors reported seeing the 56-year-old man standing or sitting next to a gasoline can in front of the house in the 9600 block of Farnham Lane about 5:50 p.m.

But because no one saw the man ignite the gasoline, detectives and forensics experts were sent to the scene as a precaution, in case the incident was not an attempted suicide, Francis said.

The residence belongs to his family, but neither he nor his estranged wife live there, said Sheriff’s Department Lt. William Francis.

The man was flown to UCI Medical Center in Orange with second- and third-degree burns and was in critical condition Tuesday night, a hospital spokesperson said.