THE FAMILY of Irishman John Nolan said they believe the incident may have been a terrible accident.
Mr Nolan, 70, was found ablaze on a north London street on Sunday afternoon, September 17.
Metropolitan Police officers, London Ambulance and London Fire Brigade were called to the scene shortly after 1pm and extinguished the fire.
Mr Nolan, who had been living in London since the 1960s, was airlifted to the burns unit at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, where he died on Monday evening.
His sister Mary Caffrey previously told The Irish Post that Mr Nolan was 'unrecognisable' following the incident.
In a statement to The Irish Post, Mr Nolan's nephew Kevin Byrne said details had emerged to suggest this was a 'terrible accident.'
Mr Byrne said: "Sincere thanks to all of the friends and well-wishers regarding my uncle John Nolan, and to the media and multitude of social media users who’ve kindly told and shared his story.
"A couple of details have emerged which are leading us to believe this was a terrible accident, which is encouraging as it’s hard to believe any human being could have had a hand in such a thing.
"Police in London are keeping the family informed about their investigation, which is ongoing, as are the relevant medical and coroners’ staff. No firm conclusion will be formed until they have reported back to us.
"Thank you to the people who tried to assist John when he needed it most, to the emergency response team who reacted swiftly and professionally to bring him towards comfort, and to his neighbours and friends who have been asking after him and taking the time to show their concern.
"To quote my father, 'John wouldn't hurt so much as a butterfly. In fact he'd find a way to bring the butterfly home and care for it. He was a gentle man who would do anything you asked of him.'"
Mr Byrne said his family await the release of Mr Nolan's body to return him to his native Swinford in Co Mayo to be buried alongside his parents Mick and Mary Ellen and his brother Michael.
"Until then, we will continue to urge any witnesses to this terrible event to come forward and assist the police with their enquiries.
"We won’t rest until we’ve found out what has happened to John."
