US comedian Jay Leno was taken to hospital after his face was burned in his Los Angeles garage when one of his cars burst into flames.

The left side of former The Tonight Show host’s face was burned, but Leno’s eye and ear were not severely damaged.

Leno confirmed the news to Variety, saying in a statement: “I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire. I am ok. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet.”

The website Deadline confirmed the petrol fire. He was taken to a burn centre where he reportedly remains hospitalised in a stable condition, Deadline reports.

The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately clear. Leno is known for his famed car collection, which is housed at a garage in Burbank, north of Los Angeles.