A member of a notorious Dublin family is this evening fighting for his life after he blew up his bedroom.

Thomas Dumbrell (25) caused a massive explosion and fire at the family home after he lit a cigarette while the room was filled with gas.

A number of aerosols cans were discovered at the scene, and Gardai

believe Dumbrell had been sniffing fumes before the explosion.

The victim, who has two brothers serving life for murder, is in a critical condition in hospital.

"We believe that there was an explosion as a result of naked flame coming into contact with gas from an aerosol," said a source.

However, because of the extent of his injuries, they have not been able to interview the injured man.

The resulting fire spread to the hallway and stairway but his parents, who were in the house at the time, escaped uninjured.

Emergency services rushed to the two-storey fire scene on Emmet Road in Inchicore.

Some members of the Dumbrell family have an unenviable criminal record with brothers Warren and Jeffrey currently serving life sentences for the fatal stabbing of father-of-six Christopher Cawley.

Warren Dumbrell received a 10-year sentence for his part in the 1997 Mountjoy jail riot and committed Mr Cawley's murder just two months after his release in August 2006.

Warren is considered one of the country's most violent prisoners and his arrival at Portlaoise prison after the murder conviction caused an immediate walk-out by prison staff. Their representative organisation, the POA, insisted on special security arrangements with three officers assigned to him personally at all times.

They complained that the management had not informed them he was being placed there and insisted existing security would be inadequate to preserve good order and safety.

RIOTS

Warren Dumbrell had previously been involved in the Mountjoy jail riots in 1997 when five officers were held hostage and threatened with blood-filled syringes.

Two other brothers, Leroy and Leonard, are also well-known criminals with Leroy having more than 50 convictions.

In December 2006, Leroy was convicted of assaulting Nigel Reid causing him serious harm and robbing his mobile phone in July 2004.

He was on bail for another assault when he attacked Mr Reid, causing him to permanently lose the sight in his left eye.

Another brother, Trevor Lee, is a law-abiding civilian who works as a male model.

The injured man, Thomas Dumbrell, has a number of convictions, mostly for public order-type offences.

- Ian Mallon