Rachel Dear was lucky to see the New Year.

The mother of two was preparing dinner outside her caravan in Redcliffe, north of Brisbane, shortly after 5pm on Christmas Eve when she went to light her barbecue.

“I lit it and the whole thing just exploded in my face. It went 'bang,'" she said.

"It was so scary and it happened in seconds.

"I burnt my arm because I reached in through the fire to turn the gas off, because all I could think about was my kids in the caravan. I was worried the whole caravan would explode."

She managed to turn the gas off, smother the flames and warn her children to get out of the caravan before sprinting to the nearby beach shower.

“I felt like I was still on fire for hours afterwards, it was so painful," Ms Dear said.

"But I'm very fortunate. I could have died."

Ms Dear said she was unsure why the explosion occurred, but suspected a gas leak. 

Rachel Dear suffered burns to her face and body after her barbecue caught fire on Christmas Eve. (Supplied: Rachel Dear)

Firefighters back mum's safety warning

Now, Ms Dear wants to warn others.

"Before you ever light a barbecue, get a bottle and put a mix of water with dishwashing liquid in it and spray it over the connections, if it bubbles there is an issue," she said.

"You’ve just got to check any bit of gas leaking. Just stay safe with gas.

"I had a car and caravan nearby and if I do use the barbecue again, I’ll keep it further away from everything."

The incident happened during a Christmas Eve barbecue. (Supplied: Rachel Dear)

Emergency services echoed Ms Dear's warning and urged those using barbecues this summer to ensure they were serviced and maintained correctly.  

"[That includes] scheduling pressure testing of any gas cylinders and checking the condition of all hoses and connections, [there is] no rust or damage and connections are tightened on gas barbecues," a Queensland Fire Department spokesperson said.

"Always place a barbecue on a firm, level base sheltered from wind gusts and well away from anything flammable, like garden sheds, vegetation and fences. 

"Only use a barbecue in a well-ventilated area as fumes and gases emitted may be harmful."