REUVEN FENTON and SELIM ALGAR
The New York Post

A Long Island father and son barely escaped with their lives yesterday after a propane tank exploded in their garage and sent "plumes of flames" shooting into the sky, officials said.

Steve Haber, 52, of Baldwin, was in critical but stable condition with severe burns at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, while his son, Thomas, 21, was treated for lesser burns to his hands, cops said.

The pair were working on a blue pickup truck just outside Steve Haber's garage at 2465 Central Ave.

when a propane-gas tank ignited, a witness said.

Rescuers believe a spark from a tool Steve was using touched off the explosion, which rocked the quiet, suburban neighborhood shortly before noon.

"My first thought was it was really big fireworks," said neighbor Gail Merrick, who was in her backyard when the explosion shook her. "There were a lot of plumes of flames. It was horrible." Merrick, 62, described a horrific scene outside Haber's home in the blast's aftermath.

"Steve was sitting on the lawn. He looked dazed," Merrick said. "His back was totally burnt. It was all black. He looked like he was almost in shock." The explosion and fire gutted the garage and partially collapsed its roof.

Flames also touched a neighbor's garage, doing moderate damage.

Witnesses said they were surprised no one was killed.

"Thank God, no one was hurt more," Merrick said.

Despite injuries, neighbors said Steve Haber frantically fought the flames with a blanket, fearing the fire could spread to his house.

"He did his damnedest to protect his property," witness Jerry Hanson said.

"Everyone was like, 'Get down! Get down!' but he kept fighting the fire with a blanket."

Additional reporting by David K. Li

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August 30, 2010.