Top Fuel cars catch fire like that quite often when they experience catstropic failure. Usually from blowing the S/C off the intake. Shirley Muldowney swore off funny cars after she was trapped in one and was severly burned.

That runout after the trap looked awfully short plus the wall?

From watching the video I'd say he was unconscience after the explosion cause the car doesn't appear to slow at all and the chute looked more like it was blown off rather then activated.