Shriners Children’s Boston Spreads Awareness of Fire Pit Dangers During the Summer Months

Shriners Children's Boston Is Already Seeing Patients for Campfire Injuries this Season

Summer has officially started, and it’s a time when families across New England get back to outdoor activities after a long winter indoors. While camping, bonfires and grilling create lasting memories, Shriners Children’s Boston, along with one of their patient families, is raising awareness about unexpected fire-related dangers that can happen at this time of the year.

During the summer of 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Scarlett and her family created a backyard camping experience complete with tents and a fire pit. At the end of the night, they carefully extinguished the flames, and even after rain fell overnight, they didn’t expect the ashes to still be hot the next day. The following afternoon, 2‑year‑old Scarlett walked across the ashes and suffered second‑ and third‑degree burns on her feet, resulting in a visit to the emergency department.

“If we waited any longer, the extent would have been worse,” Nathan, Scarlett’s dad, said. “Our local hospital referred us to Shriners Children’s Boston for specialized burn care. Scarlett stayed there for three weeks while they saved her foot through multiple surgeries. After this experience, we’ve learned not to make any assumptions about what is safe, especially when around anything hot. You need to be aware, and I don’t think a lot of people are.”

Shriners Children’s inpatient unit nurse manager Kara Sher, MSN, RN, CPN, CCRN, said it’s common to see an increase in burn injuries this time of the year. Shriners Children’s Boston has already seen patients in the outpatient clinic due to campfires or fire pits, and summer is just beginning. Sher has many tips for families who are planning outdoor fires this season.

“When you’re pouring water on the fire to put it out, also make sure to stir at the same time,” Sher said. “It is most common for people to pour water on the top of the fire to extinguish it, but it doesn’t penetrate down to the hot embers at the bottom of a fire. By stirring and pouring water at the same time, you ensure that you truly put out all the fire, so no embers are left burning.”

Sher strongly discourages using accelerants commonly found at home, like starter fluid, hairspray, alcohol or gasoline. Those substances can cause dangerous explosions, leading to severe burns. She also recommends creating a no-go zone, or a circle of safety, around the fire that extends at least 3 to 4 feet away from the pit. In some cases, like beach fire pits, you can make the no-go zone a couple of feet further. Some people mark this area by drawing a circle or even marking it with flags.

“Beach fire pits can be especially dangerous because in many cases, after they’re put out, there’s no sign a fire was ever there, and the sand can stay extremely hot,” Sher said. “Don’t put sand on top of the fire to extinguish it, as that only insulates the heat. Pour water on the beach fire and stir it, just like you would a campfire. If you have not previously created a zone of safety, then, at this time, mark it with flags or anything that clearly shows a fire pit was in the sand.”

Scarlett has had eight surgeries on her feet so far at Shriners Children’s Boston, and her mom, Jenny, said she has healed well. Now 7, Scarlett does everything a child loves to do, like dance, gymnastics, soccer, basketball and more.

With the New England summer season just beginning, Scarlett and her family want to make sure other families don’t go through the same journey they did.