More than $30,000 has been raised in less than 24 hours to help a Te Anau cop who suffered serious burns in a gas bottle explosion.

Police constable and father-of-four Kris Dale was airlifted to hospital on April 9 after an horrific accident at his home. 

He has severe burns to 18% of his body, with his face, neck, upper torso and hands the most affected. His hands suffered 'full thickness' or 3rd degree burns. 

The former firefighter and keen hunter was boiling down the head of a 12-point stag in his garage when the gas bottle began purging. 

Before he could turn it off, it exploded. 

Kris was airlifted from Te Anau and is now in the Christchurch Hospital burns unit, where he is undergoing skin grafts.

If the initial treatment goes well, without any infections and the grafts 'taking' first time, he will still be hospitalised for at least a month. 

Rehabilitation is likely to take more than six months, with frequent trips to Invercargill and Dunedin hospitals and doctors, both about two to three-and-a-half hours away from his home.

Kris Dale in Christchurch burns unit

A family friend launched a Givealittle appeal to help his family with the cost of rehabilitation, accommodation and travel. 

Kris' wife Jamie is staying near Christchurch Hospital in Airbnb accommodation, along with their four young children, Isla 8, Mackenzie 5, Angus 2 and Keira, 10 months.  

The appeal raised more than $31,200 in just 24 hours. 

"It's a reflection of how popular both Kris and his family are," says the friend, who did not want to be named. 

"They've contributed so much for the communities they've lived in. They really get involved."

Originally from the Bay of Plenty, Kris served as a firefighter with the Ohope Volunteer Fire Brigade for many years and also as a police constable, before relocating to Te Anau. 

Over the years, he's raised thousands of dollars for others through his own fundraising efforts, including completing the Auckland Sky Tower Stair Challenge and spending 24 hours in a cherry picker outside the fire station. 

"There are a lot of people who care about him up here, and because he and his family have already been sent so many flowers and so much food, we thought we'd do something to help with the financial burden.

"While it wasn't easy getting Kris's okay to run a Givealittle, as he is more comfortable giving assistance than receiving it, this his and Jamie's hour of need," the friend says. 

"Serious burns are notoriously painful, with lengthy recovery times."

Click here to donate to the Givealittle appeal