Burning candle and gas-filled balloons create birthday havoc

A birthday celebration turned to near disaster when a bunch of balloons got too close to a flaming candle and exploded.

| The birthday boy was all smiles when his friends surprised him with a cake and a large bunch of red balloons.

The cake was topped off with a novelty-sized sparkling candle that threw flames into the air like an emergency flare.

As his girlfriends pulled him in close to sing "Happy Birthday", the man cautiously kept his buoyant balloons up high, away from the flame.

He lost concentration when the girls smashed a couple of eggs on his head in what they thought would be the hilarious crescendo of the festivities.

But the girls were left with egg on their faces when the birthday boy cowered under the egg cracking and let the balloons drop too close to the cake.

The red bunch of balloons became one massive ball of orange fire that quickly engulfed the party's heads before flaming out.

The group laughed in shocked horror as they checked themselves for singes, as a small fire burned on the ground.

It's not certain what the balloons were filled with, but it could not have been helium because, as a Noble Gas, it would only pop the balloons — not turn them into a gaseous fireball.

It's a red-hot reminder that, no matter how old you are, parties can be perilous events.

Take a look through for more birthday surprises that did not go as planned.