Timothy Browning: Kentucky Man Uses Flamethrower for Snow Removal

Forget shoveling! A Kentucky man devised a much faster solution to clear the snow from his driveway, although it certainly appears to be much more dangerous.

Timothy Browning used a flamethrower to melt the snow and ice from the front of his home. He shared the video of his fiery escapades on Facebook on Christmas Day and the footage has gone viral.

Browning generated a lot of laughs in part because of what he was wearing. He was dressed like Cousin Eddie, a character from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, complete with the white robe and belt and faux fur hat.

Here’s what you need to know:

Browning Chugged a Beer & Smoked a Cigar as He Wielded the Flamethrower

In the original clip, which is about 30 seconds, Browning drinks from his beer can before placing a cigar in his mouth and powering up the flamethrower. The woman recording, likely his wife, can heard joking that Browning was providing a new service for the neighborhood. She says, “Browning snow service removal, now available.”

About halfway through the first clip, Browning chugs the rest of the beer and tosses the can into the snow. He continues to keep the flamethrower running and he returns the cigar to his mouth after discarding the beer.

The second clip is more of the same but from behind Browning as he moves further along the driveway. He points the flamethrower into the air as a vehicle drives by and honks at him, prompting a laugh from the woman recording. She remarks toward the end of the clip, “and that’s how you clear a driveway.”

Browning shared the two videos on Facebook on Christmas morning. He wrote “Browning snow services. God bless Merica!” on the post and added “God bless American rednecks!” to the caption on the first clip.

Browning did not comment on his outfit on the Facebook post. But a quick online search showed the Cousin Eddie costume is available on Amazon.

A Video of Browning’s Stunt Recorded From Across the Street Has Been Viewed Millions of Times

Browning tagged another man named Jordan Podunavac on his social media post. Podunavac had recorded Browning’s stunt from across the street and wrote on his own Facebook page, “Some people use a shovel, others use a flamethrower!!”

Podunavac’s clip has circulated widely online as others shared and reposted it. Retired basketball player Rex Chapman promoted this version of the video by resharing a TikTok version; the clip has been viewed there more than 6.5 million times.

Twitter user @ChadBlue83 also posted Podunavac’s video of Browning and as of this writing, it had been viewed more than 450,000 times.

Browning’s stunt has been picked up by media outlets all over the world. It has also prompted many jokes and messages of admiration, as well as remarks about the dangers a stunt like this posed. Actor and rapper Ice-T was among those who shared a video of the stunt and joked, “Somebody caught me doing my driveway….. Lol.”

Browning Is a Registered Nurse, According to the Kentucky Board of Nursing

Browning describes himself as a flight nurse on his Facebook page. A search of the Kentucky Board of Nursing website confirms Browning is a registered nurse in Ashland, Kentucky. His current license was issued in April 2011 and will need to be renewed in October 2021.

Browning’s profile notes that he is also certified by the American Academy Of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board. He obtained that license in September 2019, according to the online record, and also expires in October 2021. Browning does not have any disciplinary actions on his record.

READ NEXT: FACT CHECK: Here’s What This West Virginia Meteorite Video Actually Shows