Just so everybody knows, I did cabinet refacing for a couple of years (I felt guilty that the companies I worked for, whom I won't name, were charging $10k for what cost them about $1,300 for me, $1,300 for the salesman, $1,000 for the material, and who knows what else for advertising and profit) and I had never encountered a gas stove in all that time. I hadn't ever even thought about it after doing it for two years. Well, I cut my backsplash and laid it over the stove, just like I always did. I fit it and then proceeded to apply contact adhesive to the wall. (I never liked that water based stuff, it took WAY too long to dry) I then applied it to the laminate and then got about done and POOF! a ball of fire that made me think the whole kitchen blew up! (not really though, just flashed a bit). The ball was gone pretty quick and some flames lept up the cabinets for only a few seconds and it was gone. However, my brush caught fire, the gallon of cement caught fire, and my glove that had cement on it also caught fire. I shook my hand but couldn't get the fire out. I finally threw my hand hard enough to get the glove off and onto the floor. (Fortunately I always put cardboard down over the kitchen floor to prevent any damage from occuring) I then picked up the gallon that was still aflame and panicked. I put it in the sink and turned on the water. The flames started to rise! The water wouldn't put it out, but simply caused the level of liquid in the can (and the flame) to rise. I caught my senses and covered the gallon with the lid, extinquishing the fire. I then surveyed the damage. I had a toasted piece of laminate, but that was about it, as far as materials goes.
I looked at my hand. It was very red and blistered. I was about 1 1/2 hours from home. The home owner came in because she smelled something (I hadn't made so much as a peep from the first POW! I explained what had happened but still hadn't even thought of the stove. I thought some chemical reaction had occured. Then I saw the stove was gas. The pilot light had ignited the gas.
Well, I grabbed a bag of ice (bad idea, don't do it. I later learned in my EMT class not to put ice right on a severe burn, cool water is better.) I started the drive home and about 1/2 hour away my hand was in excruciating pain. It got more red, more blistered, a sign of 2nd degree burns. Long story short, I wrapped it up and thank God it healed OK, but I ALWAYS CHECK FLAMES ANYWHERE! At my church I refinished our pews (lots of chemicals, laquer, thinner, stain) and I made sure everyone knew we were working so that no one would turn the heater on. It CAN/DOES happen.
On another note, I've used chemical filters but since I have a beard they're kinda not much good, they don't seal. Smelling laquer/thinner/contact cement all day tends to make one grouchy or light headed...which was probably another factor that helped me decide not to do it for a living.
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