‘I was melted’: But he survived blast of gasoline-fed flames

GOLD BAR — When Twyla Kill closes her eyes, she sees her husband burning alive.

He almost did.

It started as a normal autumn Saturday for Terry Kill. The Gold Bar man had plans to finish a yard project.

For months, he’d been burning a big pile of scrap wood behind his house. He planned to finish the last of it Oct. 16.

He poured a little gasoline into the barrel, as he often did to start fires — even though he knew better.

A gust of wind swept through the yard. Gasoline vapor ignited in the air. Fire erupted from the barrel. Twyla Kill, 47, screamed in horror. She ran at him and tackled him, trying to snuff out flames melting the flesh on his face, scalp, neck, arms and hands.

“He was going to keep burning,” Twyla Kill said. “I couldn’t put him out.”

Almost a month later, Terry Kill, 54, is back at work. He’s lucky to be alive, to be able to see, in spite of burns over 15 percent of his body, he said. He shared his story with The Daily Herald to warn others to not repeat his mistake.

Using gas to spark a fire is “such a normal thing to do” in rural Snohomish County, the Kills said, especially during the autumn and winter months when wet wood can be tricky to ignite.

“You think, ‘Oh, it’s no big deal,’” Terry Kill said. “But something as simple and uncalculated as a gust of wind at the proper time is going to set you on fire. You are going to be engulfed in flames.”

People have misconceptions about how dangerous gasoline and other flammable liquids are, said Sky Valley Fire Chief Eric Andrews, who was on duty the day Terry Kill was burned.

It’s basically dynamite.

“The thing about gasoline is it’s the vapors that explode, not the liquid,” Andrews said. “It has a very explosive power.”

On the day Kill was burned, Andrews put it in clear terms.

“Never, ever, ever, ever, ever use gasoline to start a fire,” he said, as quoted in The Herald.

Terry Kill’s wife could not stop the rolling flames. A neighbor ran over, ripped off the man’s sweatshirt and smothered the fire. People down the block rushed outside to see the commotion.

“When I finally got put out,” Terry Kill said, “I walked over to the fire department. I was melted.”

He lost consciousness.

Twenty minutes later, a medical helicopter landed across the street at Gold Bar Elementary School. Terry Kill can joke about it now. He was “bummed to have missed all the scenery” during that flight, he said, and he would’ve appreciated a flight home.

He was taken to the Harborview Medical Center intensive care unit in Seattle with third-degree burns. He spent two days there before being transferred to the burn unit.

At the time, doctors believed Terry Kill’s injuries would require skin graft surgery to properly heal. After a week, he could take his first shower.

“Terry called me and he was almost delirious with pain after that first shower,” Twyla Kill said.

Terry Kill recovered in the burn ward for a week. He drank protein shakes daily, he said. Protein is crucial to healing burns.

His injuries started to get better. On Oct. 25, he was released from the hospital without needing surgery. He went home to continue his recovery.

It’s the second time he has “come home” this year.

Terry Kill was released from the Monroe prison in June after serving a 3½ year sentence. He was among the prisoners who worked with Columbia Legal Services to sue Gov. Jay Inslee and the state Department of Corrections, seeking to be released due to the dangers of COVID-19 in crowded quarters.

Behind bars, Terry Kill worked on himself, he wrote in a petition to the state Supreme Court. He finished a construction trades apprenticeship program; earned other work certificates; took part in International Toastmasters; and underwent treatment through a Christian drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.

Twyla Kill advocated for her husband during the legal battle. She protested for his release outside the Monroe prison.

“I could tell you, my husband is a sweet man who’s made some mistakes, but he is my everything and I love him,” said Twyla Kill in a TV news interview in December 2020.

She also ran a Facebook group to support other families of incarcerated people during the pandemic. She spoke with multiple media outlets to publicize the lawsuit — and to be a voice for her husband.

“We’re one of those really rare married couples,” Twyla Kill said in an interview. “We’re just more in love all the time.”

The Kills have supported each other through the trauma of the past few weeks.

“I’m having a lot of nightmares,” Twyla Kill said. “Terry will say, ‘I know I was on fire, but I couldn’t see the flames. I guess I closed my eyes.’ But me? I can see the flames all the time in my head.”

Twyla Kill injured her hand when she tackled her husband. She said it will require physical therapy to properly heal.

Earlier this year, the Kills started living together again after years apart. Both said their faith keeps them positive.

The Kills are accepting donations through an online fundraiser to help cover their medical bills and recovery.

“My attitude is about it is you can’t fix stupid, and stupid is painful,” Terry Kill said.

As the holidays approach, the pair feels grateful to be together.

“Nothing is worth seeing that, experiencing that, going through that,” Twyla Kill said. “If our story can make one person think twice, then it’s worth sharing.”

Ellen Dennis: 425-339-3486; edennis@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @reporterellen.