It’s a horrible way to go but I see similar stories often. NEVER NEVER NEVER use gasoline to get fire going.
Diesel is what I use to get the backyard fire going but who has that around the house? Every house has a can of gas in the garage for the lawnmower so that’s what the uneducated use, often with tragic results.
I have a dozen Gas cans. One is for diesel only. I also have 32 acres, a 60 year old gas tractor, weedeater, chainsaw, a couple of lawn mowers, push style “weedeater” and rototiller.
I use those cans a lot. And I use the Diesel for starting brush fires, camp fires, burning garbage, etc. It can be difficult to actually light so sometimes I’ll mix a bit of gasoline with it just to get the fire started, but it doesn’t take much.
I take some newspaper and drop some veg oil on it. Then I stuff it into a pyramid of sticks- and palm fiber if I have some - and light it in several places with a match. As soon as it is lit I add some more very fine twigs or pine needles to sustain it until the bigger sticks catch.
If it’s damp I do the same but add some lighter fluid.