Hibachi grill ‘explodes’ at woman’s birthday dinner, sets her and chef on fire

ARKANSAS — A woman celebrating her 26th birthday suffered second degree burns at a hibachi restaurant when the grill “exploded” and both she and the chef caught on fire.

The incident happened on Sunday when Samantha Meyers was at Kimono Japanese Steak House in Paragould, Arkansas, to celebrate her 26th birthday with her family, according to ABC News’ Little Rock affiliate KATV.

According to Myers, she said that they were all eating lunch around a freshly cleaned grill when the chef drew a heart in flammable liquid on the hibachi grill. But when the chef held a flame to the liquid, it allegedly “exploded” and both Myers and the chef caught on fire.

"It happened so fast, I kind of just jumped back and I was like, 'I'm on fire,'" Myers told KATV.

Myers immediately ran to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face which had been burned in the accident. She said that her family asked for help from the employees while she was in the bathroom but that nobody at the establishment responded.

Myers was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for first-degree burns on her face as well as second-degree burns on her neck and chest. Doctors also began treating her for an infection on her eyelids due to the accident.

“I just feel emotionally and physically drained,” Myers said. “I’m tired and I’m hurting pretty badly.”

KATV contacted Kimono Japanese Steak House on Tuesday but they declined to comment on the incident and reportedly hung up the phone.

While Myers said the restaurant did not charge the family for their meals, she is planning on suing the restaurant over the accident.

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