Man Burned in Fire at Gas Station Dies of His Wounds

Angel Silba, the 22-year-old Van Nuys man who suffered third-degree burns over 95% of his body from a mysterious fire at a gas station Friday night, died early Sunday morning, a hospital spokesperson said.

Silba was pronounced dead from multiple-organ system failure at 5:45 a.m., said Anne Shreckengaust, charge nurse at the Grossman Burn Center at Sherman Oaks Hospital. Only parts of his feet were not burned.

“This kind of burn you don’t survive,” Shreckengaust said.

The hospital made efforts late Saturday night to bring Silba’s parents from Mexico into the country, Shreckengaust said, but they could not be reached in time.

Fire officials were still investigating the cause of the blaze and did not expect any new information Sunday, said Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the department.

Silba was pumping gas into his white Mazda at the Arco service station at Morse Avenue and Victory Boulevard in Van Nuys when he was engulfed in flames, officials said. Firefighters responded to the scene about 10:45 p.m. and were able to extinguish the fire before it spread to other pumps.

Silba’s brother, whom officials declined to identify, suffered burns to the hands while trying to pull Silba from the flames. He was treated at the North Hollywood Medical Center and released, a hospital spokesperson said.

Silba’s girlfriend and another friend were inside the gas station when the fire took place, officials said.

The fire began near the car’s gas tank and quickly consumed the back of the vehicle, said Ramon Urrutia, an Arco cashier who was eating at the Que Ricos restaurant next door when the fire started. He said the flames shot high enough to burn out the underside of the pavilion.

“I saw the guy running this way with fire all over his body,” Urrutia said, pointing to the side of the building.

Daniel Ortiz, the cashier working that night, said when he noticed the flames he saw people exiting the right side of the car, and Silba walking away. A customer already had taken the station’s fire extinguisher, so Ortiz said he went into the office and got a bucket of water.

Silba had fallen near the side of the station when Ortiz brought the water and poured it on the still-burning lower half of Silba’s body.

“He was still moving and stuff,” Ortiz said. “When I poured the water on him, he gave me this look of relief.”

Ortiz said investigators told him Saturday that they found parts of a lighter at the scene.

Silba’s car, which was parked beside the station, suffered major damage from the fire. The back wheels had melted down to their metal frames and the interior was burned out.