Brushcutters

I have a 335 Rx brush cutter. Yesterday, July 4th I operated it for 30 minutes. About one hour later I went to operate it again. When I pulled the starter cord, well... Simultaneously with the engine cranking over, the starter face plate tore off the cylinder cover and cylinder. Bolts attaching the face plate to the cylinder remained attached to the cylinder. The gas tank and air filter cover came out of alignment with the housing. Hot gas on FIRE spewed out of the now exposed cylinder and onto high dry grass. I began to step on the fire"s' but they only seemed to dance beneath my boot and break up into smaller fires. I can't say if the machine shut down spontaneously or if it did by my hitting the off button on the handle as I swung the cutter off my shoulder to attend to the fire (It happened so fast and I was startled with the top of my boot on flames). The only thing that kept the fire company out of the picture was the fact I was starting the cutter adjacent to my truck. I had 6 one gallon containers of water in the truck bed for which I intended to water fresh plantings. I had the presence of mind to grab two and douse the fire. Naturally it being gas the water just seemed to spread the flames! I dumped two more gallons which doused the fire. Within 20 seconds the fire started up again at one spot so I hit it with the 5th gallon. I than realized I had cast the cutter down with the cylinder end with exposed gas tank lying parallel to the course of the flames. I checked and there didn't seem to be any fuel seeping out of the cylinder fortunately. And the whole scene was within 2 yards of the gas tank on my truck! Has this ever happened to anyone else?