POINT PLEASANT BEACH — A Point Pleasant Beach man was badly burned when his house erupted in flames in a natural gas explosion early Monday morning.

The explosion, at a house on Cooks Lane, is the second explosion from a natural gas leak at a house in Ocean County in the past two weeks, prompting authorities to caution residents about the dangers of leaks.

In this case, the victim, a 47-year-old man, awoke to the smell of natural gas around 1:40 a.m., said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

Della Fave said the entire house erupted into flames when the man turned on the bathroom light.

When Point Pleasant Beach police and firefighters arrived, the man was outside the house, alert and conscious, but had burns over 40 percent to 50 percent of his body, Della Fave said.

The victim was rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, and then sent to Saint Barnabas Hospital's burn center in Livingston, where he was listed in stable condition, Della Fave said.

New Jersey Natural Gas arrived on scene and shut off the gas, Della Fave said.

The prosecutor's office's arson unit, the Ocean County Fire Marshal and the Ocean County Sheriff's Department are investigating the source and the cause of the leak leading to the explosion, Della Fave said.

On Feb. 23, an unoccupied house in Stafford Township exploded when a leak in a natural gas main distribution line fed gas into the basement utility room, authorities said. The house exploded when the gas came into contact with an open flame, possibly a pilot light, authorities said.

NJNG offered the following advice regarding potential gas leaks:

Because natural gas has no scent, a strong odorant that smells like rotten eggs is added to help you detect possible leaks. If you smell natural gas:

Remove any cigarettes or other smoking materials from the area, and then extinguish them

Do NOT use matches, lighters or other open flames or activate light switches, electrical appliances, flashlights, doorbells or even garage door openers, as they could create a spark.

Do NOT use telephones (cellular included) on the premises where the leak is suspected. Phones can create a spark.

Evacuate everyone from the building immediately and then call NJNG from a safe location at 800-GAS-LEAK (800-427-5325). Let the company know where you are.

Do not re-enter the building until NJNG has declared it to be safe.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.