Burns From Fire Pits, BBQs Have More Than Doubled This Season, Doctor Warns
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Though summer is a few days away, the season of barbecues and campfires has already started.
And with that, comes danger.
In fact, a perfect fire from Memorial Day weekend, took a frightening turn for one woman, who asked not to be identified, when she tripped and had fallen into it.
Three weeks later, she was in a hospital bed recovering from second and third degree burns.
"It was a beautiful fire so I videoed it," she said. "It was about a half an hour later, I just happened to trip and fall into that fire."
"My husband turned at that point and grabbed me by my shirt and pants and pulled me out of the fire," she said.
The woman sustained damage to her arms and back so severe she did a skin graft from her scalp.
"All from only being in a fire for probably three seconds," she said.
But she's not the only one at the burn center.
Dr. Peter Grossman says burns from fire pits and barbecues have more than doubled this season.
"People don't think about the dangers of things we use on a routine basis," said Grossman, adding that outside grills are nothing to take lightly.
Rather, they have to be cleaned and maintained.
Here are some safety tips:
- When using a gas grill, make sure to leave the lid open when lighting it.
- Only build campfires in designated pits.
- Never add flammable liquid to a fire already burning.
