George Stalker, 72, a well-known pigeon fancier in the north west, died after a flying piece of metal hit him in the stomach on Saturday afternoon (May 4).
He had been trying to open the metal container on a private builders' yard just off Hoghton Road in Sutton.
As he levered the lid open, the gas inside made the canister explode. The force of the blast severed a major artery and he died a few hours later at Whiston Hospital.
A close friend, who was at the scene, spoke of his loss and described his horror at the 'freak and tragic accident'.
He did not want give his name, but said: "George wanted to use the metal drum to burn some household waste. I told him he could have it and he started to try and take the top off.
"All of a sudden there was a tremendous bang and then everyone was running about screaming for an ambulance."
"I dashed out and it was just terrible. I just cannot believe it has happened to such a very very close friend of mine. George would do anything for anyone he was a true friend and I have known him for at least 12 years.
"He loved his family - his daughter and his grandson were the light of his life."
George was a member of Roby Flying Club and was a delegate in the western region of The Royal Pigeon Racing Assocation (RPRA). He had kept pigeons since he was teenager.
John Myers, secretary of the RPRA, said: "He will be sorely missed by everyone in the club - he was a major part of our community.
"I could not believe it when I found out on Sunday morning.
"He was a true character and was one of those people who would come to our regular meetings and would always stand up and have some thing to say. He was always one with a new proposal or an interesting new idea.
"It is a terrible shame that this has happened to him."
The police have confirmed there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death and referred the matter to the coroner and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
A spokesman for the HSE said: "We initially investigated the accident on Saturday but the man was not engaging in work-related activity. He was there because of his pigeon racing hobby so we closed the investigation."